


turntechGodhead is offline

by forestknifefight



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Sburb Session, Character Death, Childhood Trauma, Grief/Mourning, Minor Injuries, Minor depictions of gore, Past Child Abuse, Trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-03
Updated: 2019-05-17
Packaged: 2019-05-17 15:04:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 31,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14834555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forestknifefight/pseuds/forestknifefight
Summary: Dave Strider didn't get into college. Anywhere. Five applications submitted, five rejections received. While he's stuck in Texas, John, Jade, and Rose are all off at their respective universities, doing something.Dave has to navigate his young adulthood, getting a job, going to community college, trying to survive in the same house as Bro. His friends want to help, they really do.But turntechGodhead is offline.





	1. rollin like a stoner

“Berkley’s gonna be great, Dave!” John yells over video chat. It’s midnight in Washington, two in the morning in Texas.

“What’s gonna be so great about it?” Dave asks. He’s not exactly interested in John’s chosen topic, but he doesn’t want to go to sleep yet.

“Everything! One, I’m gonna be away from my dad. I mean, you know I love my dad, he’s great, blah blah blah, whatever. I just think it’s gonna be so cool being two states away. It’s freedom!” John’s leaning back in his chair with his arms stretched out. “Two,” John pauses, “I don’t have a number two, but Berkley is gonna be great.”

“That’s cool. When do you move?” Dave asks.

“Eight days. My dad’s going nuts, making sure I have everything.”

Dave’s computer pings with a message from Rose. She shouldn’t be up, it’s three in the morning there.

“I wish I could’ve gone to UT Austin with you, but my dad wouldn’t let me go that far,” John says.

“Yeah, you, Harley, and Lalonde all wanted to come out here to butt fuck Egypt to go to school. I’m glad none of you did, y’all would hate Texas,” Dave says.

“What would we hate? Getting to see our best bro every day?”

“Yeah, I’m fuckin’ annoying dude. But nah, it’s so hot dude. Y’all would shrivel up like sun-dried tomatoes. Or raisins. Raisins in the Sun! That’s a good book, I gotta read that again--”

“Anyway! I gotta go to bed, and so do you. ‘Cause if it’s late for me, it’s later for you!” John says, excitedly.

Dave laughs. “Is that your attempt at rapping, Egbert? You can’t rhyme ‘you’ and ‘you,’ bro, it’s weak as hell.”

“Whatever! Go to bed!”

“Alright, night.”

“Goodnight.”

John hangs up the call.

Dave doesn’t go to bed. He stays seated at his makeshift desk, turning slightly. He picks up the rejection letter from UT Austin that stares at him mockingly at all hours of the day. The day he got the letter, was heartbreaking. Bro watched as Dave sifted through the mail after school. He held up the envelope and could’ve broken down right there.

“You applied to five schools and didn’t get shit,” Bro said from where he was leaning against the counter. “On the roof in two minutes.” Then he was gone.

Dave groans just remembering that day. He tosses the letter back onto his desk then turns his attention to his computer. Nine messages from Rose.

tentacleTherapist began pestering turntechGodhead at [02:14]

TT: It seems both you and our esteemed colleague John are still awake.  
TT: It is quite late for you both, is it not? Approximately 2:15 in the morning for you; 12:15 for John.  
TT: What could possibly be keeping you both up at such an irresponsible hour?  
TT: Really? Ignoring me? Very mature.  
TT: Seriously, I’m tired but can’t sleep.  
TT: I’m politely requesting some of your famous blithering bullshit to help lull me into a much-needed slumber.  
TT: I move to my dorm at Columbia tomorrow. My mother is losing her mind.  
TT: Really? Not even an extremely uncomfortable comment about how attractive you find my mother, the woman who gave me life?  
TT: This is boring.  
TG: sorry i didnt get here in time to tell you that your moms hot  
TG: was on a call w egbert  
TG: and before you get your panties in a bunch lalonde no we were not checkin out each others trouser hotdogs  
TG: we were havin a cool bro chat about how hes losing his shit over going to college two whole states away from his dad because papa egbert wouldnt let him come all the way down here to satans asscrack  
TT: Yes, college can be stressful. I, myself, am worrying about it and you would know that if you bothered to read my messages.  
TG: no i read them  
TG: i said your moms hot  
TG: hot mama lalonde was mentioned in the same line as columbia  
TG: and i knew that vis a vis my ability to read  
TT: That is not how “vis a vis” is used.

turntechGodhead began a video call with tentacleTherapist at [02:42]

When Rose answers the call, her hair is scrunched up in waves and her face is bare. Dave is flipping her off with both hands. Rose laughs and returns the gesture.

“Can I ask you something?” Rose says.

“Oh, you’re not gonna be a wordy fucker?”

“No.”

“Shoot.”

“Did you even get into UT Austin?”

Dave is silent.

“Dave,” Rose says, almost as a warning.

“No, I didn’t. I didn’t get in anywhere. Then I got my ass handed to me on a beautiful silver platter that’s usually reserved for the drink being handed to the guy on butler island. I haven’t even told Egbert or Harley that I’m not going to college. Oh my god, if Jade found out!”

Rose gives a small smile. “No community college? There has to be a few around you.”

Dave leans back in his chair. “Yeah, there’s like seven close enough that I can take the bus, but I just,” he pauses, “It feels like a cop-out.”

“There is nothing wrong with community college, Dave. It’s the same quality education as a university at a fraction of the cost.” Rose says, leaning back in her chair.

“Not in Texas it ain’t. Community colleges here are about the same as universities.”

“Really? It’s only $4,800 here. How much is it?”

“Close to 17 grand, depending on where you live.”

Rose laughs in shock. “Everything’s bigger in Texas.”

“Yeah, like this dick.”

\--

gardenGnostic [GG] RIGHT NOW opened memo on board BEST FRIENDS FOREVER GOING TO COLLEGE.

GG: alright guys!!! it’s college time!!! here we go!!!  
TT: Someone is excited to go to Massachusetts.  
GG: im very excited!!!  
TG: gonna get some mass ass right harley  
GG: whats that :o  
TT: massachusetts ass  
EB: dave fuck off  
EB: jade i’m super excited for you!  
EB: i move in two days  
EB: rose hows columbia????  
TT: Columbia is okay. Classes have not started yet, but I have located what I am calling the “Good Library,” as well as the “Good Coffee Cart.”  
TT: The activities fair was today, at which I met some very interesting people. Otherwise, I don’t think I can say anything negative about Columbia thus far.  
GG: dave when do you go to school???  
TT: im not gonna be living on campus

tentacleTherapist began pestering turntechGodhead at [20:14]

TT: Smooth, Strider.  
TG: not a lie  
TT: You are correct. However, although it is not a lie, it is not necessarily the truth, correct? You are not living campus because, for you, there is no campus to live on.

Dave rolls his eyes and spins in his chair, facing into his room rather than his computer. He leans down to pick up a rolled up sock and tosses it at his light switch, turning it off with incredible accuracy. No need to get up and walk all the way across the room just to walk back and collapse onto his bed, right?

Rather than get up and take the two steps to his mattress, Dave stays there. He stares at the light board above his turntables. Rose sent it to him for his 18th birthday, instructing him to adorn it with words of wisdom that he can use to motivate himself. He spelled out “EAT A DICK,” a word per row, and showed it to Rose.

“I didn’t expect anything more from you,” she had said.

Looking back on it, Dave wishes he had put something else. In theory, he could just take it down and change the letters but he lost the rest two days after he got it.

The front door opens and closes and Bro is gone for the night. He spins back around in his chair to catch up on the chats.

EB: you’re gonna be missing out big time, dave!  
EB: living on campus is essential to college life!  
TT: It is also incredibly expensive, John. Not everyone can afford such a luxury.  
GG: you could though :O  
TT: It was also required of me as I do not live near New York City. However, mother did insist that I have a single dorm, so I have no roommate.  
EB: so YOU’RE the one missing out!  
EB: roommates are important to being in college  
EB: i keep thinking there’s a word i should be using that i’m not what is it?  
TT: Quintessential.  
GG: rose whats your major going to be???  
TT: English.  
GG: really??  
GG: i would think psychology because you were so into it when we were younger!  
TT: Looking back on my youth, I realize that my interest in psychology was mostly driven by the need to understand myself and who I was becoming as an individual.  
TT: Also to fuck with Dave, but that’s a different story.  
EB: where is he he just disappeared  
TG: damn egbert get off my dick  
TG: i was busy  
TG: sorry my glorious red words werent here for you to beat it to  
EB: wow fuck off you dick  
TG: ur right man im sorry  
TG: thats not fair  
TG: we know ur dick doesnt get hard  
TG: hang on man i got the perfect track for you  
TG: check this out  
turntechGodhead [TG] sent audio file my-dick-dont-work.mp3  
TG: all for u dude  
EB: eat a dick dave  
TT: Dave, does the lightboard I gave you still say that?  
TT: yes  
TT: but also  
TT: u wish u could egbert  
GG: while talking about dicks is sooooooooo fuuuuuuuuuun  
GG: im gonna go so i can get a good nights sleep before COLLEGE TOMORROW  
TG: gn harley  
EB: good luck tomorrow!  
TT: Sleep well, Jade.

gardenGnostic [GG] RIGHT NOW closed memo on board BEST FRIENDS FOREVER GOING TO COLLEGE

tentacleTherapist [TT] began pestering turntechGodhead [TG] at [20:59]

TT: When are you going to tell them that you’re not going to college?  
TT: It is not fair to our dear friends that you’re being dishonest with them.  
TT: If you don’t tell them before December, I will.

turntechGodhead [TG] is offline!

TT: Real mature, Dave.

tentacleTherapist [TT] ceased pestering turntechGodhead [TG] at [21:09]

\--

Dave eventually finds himself at Houston Community College. It’s September at this point. Too late for the fall semester but just enough time for him to start in the spring. He’s in the counseling office, talking to a girl named Ronnie.

“So, you need to check your student email frequently. That’s where you’ll get information like registration dates. It’s also the only email that professors can access unless you give them your personal one, which we don’t recommend.”

“Yeah, I don’t need a math teacher forced to type ‘dongsuckingmaster666@gmail.com’ for a whole semester,” Dave says.

Ronnie laughs. “Yeah, and they don’t wanna type that. Um, that’s everything I guess,” she hands Dave a stack of paperwork, “You can make an appointment with a counselor and come in if you have any questions.”

Dave takes the paperwork, “Thanks,” and he’s out the door quicker than Ronnie can say dongsuckingmaster666.

Dave’s bus route home includes 3 different buses and a 15-minute walk from the bus stop to his complex. When he gets to the apartment, he goes directly to his room, ignoring the obvious note to be on the roof as soon as he gets home. He drops the paperwork on his desk and quickly checks pesterchum.

ectoBiologist [EB] began pestering turntechGodhead [TG] at [13:02]

EB: hey dave!  
EB: we haven’t had a chance to really have a good bro chat in a while  
EB: let’s get on call tonight  
EB: gotta run right now though  
EB: freshman comp in 20

ectoBiologist [EB] ceased pestering turntechGodhead [TG] at [13:06]

gardenGnostic [GG] began pestering turntechGodhead [TG] at [12:59]

GG: im opening another memo tonight so we can all get caught up on each other’s schoolwork!!  
GG: be there or be square!!!

gardenGnostic [GG] ceased pestering turntechGodhead [TG] at [13:00]

Dave checked Rose’s profile quickly, thinking it strange that she didn’t message him. The purple text blinked at him:

tentacleTherapist [TT] is offline!

Dave sighed and turned away from his computer. He grabbed a sword on his way back to the living room. He had to be on the roof 10 minutes ago.

He’s late.

\--

turntechGodhead [TG] began a video call with tentacleTherapist [TT] at [17:13]

Rose’s face is immediately churned in disgust and worry when she answers the call. Dave’s face is covered in cuts and bruises and there’s a large welt over his forehead.

“What happened to you!” She yells.

Dave sighs. “I went out today and when I got home there was a note to be on the roof when I got back. I didn’t go straight to the roof. I was, like, 10 minutes late.”

“So he pummeled you into the ground?”

“Yeah. Standard protocol. Private Strider was late from the barracks, gotta break his back.”

“I’m fairly certain that that phrase is meant to refer to the amount of physical labor the soldier will be doing, not how much physical violence he will endure.”

“Yeah, well Bro was never in the army.”

The two sit in silence for a while. A long while. So long that Jade opens the memo and she and John get caught up with school and she curses Rose and Dave for “being squares.”

So long that Dave misses the video call with John and gets a message from him asking where he is because John knows he’s online and whatever dick, John will talk to you later then.

So long that Bro finally leaves for the night.

So long that John and Jade go offline.

So long that when Rose finally speaks, even though she’s whispering, it’s so loud.

“You can’t let him keep doing that to you.”

“And what should I do, Lalonde? I don't have a job. I’m lucky if some schmuck on tumblr donates to my patreon once a month with a ‘your comics are shit but the humor is on point’ message. I have fifty-four dollars to my name, I can’t exactly move out. Yeah, rent is dirt cheap in Texas compared to New York or California but I still can’t afford it. I’m stuck here.”

Rose is silent again.

“Sorry I yelled. There’s a lot going on and this shit is just getting to be too much.”

“Have you thought about therapy?” Rose asks.

“We don’t have health insurance.”

Rose snorts. “Isn’t Bro some sort of millionaire?”

“Yeah, and we don’t have health insurance. I don’t question his insanity.”

“You need to do something about this. Can you get a job? Is there a supermarket near you?”

“There’s a few a good bus ride away. I guess I could try those.”

Rose smiles and, after a few moments, Dave groans.

“Grocery stores make you wear an ugly tie, don’t they?”

“Some do.”

“Fuck.”

It’s silent again.

“Dave, I have to go to bed. I have an 8 am tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

Rose smiles.

tentacleTherapist [TT] ended a video call with turntechGodhead [TG] at [02:47]

tentacleTherapist [TT] is offline!

\--

Dave’s bus ride from home to the grocery store that he works at is one long stretch. He’s been taking this bus for a couple weeks and it’s the same people every week. He doesn’t talk to them; just sits in an open seat, careful not to get to close to someone unless it’s those days the bus is loaded.

That’s today.

Dave is pressed against the wall of the bus and the seat is empty next to him. There are three more stops until his stop and if he’s lucky no one will get off or on so the bus won’t stop. It slows down and Dave knows he’s not lucky.

tentacleTherapist [TT] began pestering turntechGodhead [TG] at [09:47]

TT: Are you going to tell John and Jade that you never attended college and that the real reason you have been missing their “Catch Up Memos” is not because you are indisposed, but because you have nothing to catch them up on?  
TG: ill tell them in a few days  
TG: get off my dick okay  
TG: aghdfjk  
TT: aghdfjk?

A young man sat in the seat next to Dave, bumping him with his backpack. He muttered a “sorry” before yanking up the hood of his jacket and shoving his face into his phone.

TG: sorry someone sat next to me on the bus  
TG: i hate when this happens  
TT: Oh, okay. I was confused. Keyboard smashes is what us members of the LGBT+ community do when we do something particularly gay.  
TG: i gotta see his face before i know if i wanna hop on that dick lalonde  
TG: jeez cmon u know im classy like that  
TG: i thought u knew me  
TG: im hurt  
TG: im offended  
TG: my stop is coming up ill update u on his looks in a sec

Dave pressed the tape to signal a stop and after a few seconds, the bus slowed to a stop. Dave stood, hoping to signal to the guy that he was getting off. The bus. Not in general.

The guy did notice, and stood up, grabbing his bag and sliding into the aisle to let Dave by. He scooted out and gave the guy a nod, hoping to catch a look at his face and lo and behold, this young man was something else.

TG: rose  
TG: rose listen to me  
TG: rose agfhagafhdhasdf  
TT: Oh dear. Is that a genuinely homosexual keyboard smash?  
TG: its coming from me so lets call it a genuine bisexual keyboard smash thanks  
TG: but also its a goddamn same that ill never see that guy ever again  
TG: shoulda just hopped on that dick right then and there  
TG: if im ever lucky enough to see him again you know what ill do  
TT: Hop on that dick?  
TG: see lalonde you do know me  
TG: we really are friends  
TT: Well, what did he look like? Don’t leave your supposed “friend” hanging.  
TG: got work  
TG: ill tell u later  
TG: well get the gang on memo  
TG: and ill dish about Hot Bus Guy  
TT: Jade and John will be happy to talk to you.  
TT: You can also tell them that you are not in college.

turntechGodhead [TG] ceased being pestered by tentacleTherapist [TT] at [09:58]

turntechGodhead [TG] is offline!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For your listening pleasure: "Rolling Like A Stoner" by Vic Mensa


	2. i'll sleep when i'm dead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dave starts the Spring semester, his first ever semester of college. Enter stage right, Weird Blind Girl and Hot Bus Guy (identities revealed). Enter stage left, the straw and the camel whose back it breaks. Scene: Dave tells a big lie.

TG: aight bitches time to come clean about some ridiculous lying thats been done in these here chats  
TG: and i mean some serious lying  
TG: no good dishonesty  
TG: goddamn deceit  
TG: some fuckin perfidious deception  
TG: i cant think of any more synonyms for lies or deceit  
TT: And you call yourself a rapper. You cannot even form proper and compelling synonyms for the word lies. It is very disingenuous for you to insist that you are the compelling rapper that you claim to be, who espouses such poignant ill beats and dope rhymes.  
TT: I feel cheated, really. Rightfully lied to.  
TG: disingenuous is a damn good word for whats about to be rectified here  
EB: can you just get to the point already?  
EB: who lied?  
EB: i’m trying to study for this stupid test  
GG: yeah!  
GG: i have a very important lab tomorrow that i cant screw up!!  
TG: alright i wont keep u nerds too long  
TG: i just think its time to air this shit out  
TG: cause its been eatin my ass for a while now  
TG: thats not a fun visual  
TG: but guys  
TG: real talk  
TG: the realest of talk  
TT: Dave, just cut to the chase. I, too, have studying to do.  
TG: ironic that yall are supposed to b studying rn when like  
TG: im not  
EB: yeah you’re just spouting bullshit that we’re being forced to read  
TG: no listen dickbert  
TG: im not studying  
TG: at like all  
TG: no school for the striderino these days  
TG: we just up and fuckin did not go to school  
TG: well like  
TG: ok i didnt get in anywhere was the thing  
TG: and thats the big lie  
TG: and rose knew and she told me for like  
TG: fuckin weeks  
TT: I’ve been telling you to come clean for months, Dave.  
TG: yeah months  
TG: and im sorry  
TG: i really am  
TG: but im coming clean about it now cause theres other shit to discuss  
TG: capital d  
TG: trademarked  
GG: dave you didnt get into any schools???  
TG: no  
EB: so what have you been doing?  
TG: i work at a grocery store  
TG: which leads me to my next point  
GG: wait wait wait!!!  
GG: do you plan to go to school eventually???  
EB: yeah like to community or something?  
EB: like that old show  
EB: with that rapper you like  
TG: donald glover is not just that rapper i like  
TG: hes a goddamn national treasure  
TG: rapper writer actor director producer comedian  
TG: goddamn sextuple threat  
TG: anyway yeah  
TG: im set up to hit up that hcc life in the spring  
GG: thats really good!!  
GG: its good that youre going to go to school!!  
TG: thanks harley  
TG: can i tell you guys about my other news  
EB: the three of us have to study  
TG: okay so about Hot Bus Guy  
GG: hot bus guy???  
GG: you met a hot guy on the bus???  
TT: No, he briefly sat next to a hot guy on the bus.  
TG: but he was hot so like  
TG: whats the difference  
EB: did you talk to him?  
TG: who do you think i am egbert  
TG: some fuckin guy who talks to hot guys on the bus  
EB: well i mean why wouldn’t you?  
TT: We non-straight people don’t just talk to attractive people, John.  
TT: Take me, for example. Yesterday I bumped into a very attractive young lady named Kanaya in the Women’s Center and did I talk to her?  
TT: No, of course not.  
EB: well why not!  
EB: who is it gonna hurt!  
TG: ebgert do you realize that if i talk to him he could hear me  
EB: you guys are hopeless  
TG: and youre a het so leave the bis and the lesbians alone  
GG: youre all silly  
GG: dave next time you see hot bus guy talk to him!!  
GG: worst case scenario you get a friend!!  
TG: or he hears me talk  
GG: bah!!  
GG: we have to go!  
GG: we have to study!  
TG: alright fine go be nerds

turntechGodhead [TG] RIGHT NOW closed memo on board JUST GUYS BEIN DUDES COMIN CLEAN TO THEIR BEST BUDS

That went way easier than Dave thought. He spins in his chair and throws a balled up sock at the light switch. He stands up, grabbing his phone from the desk and take the few steps to his bed. He collapses on it and haphazardly pulls a thin sheet over his torso.

Dave scrolls through twitter mindlessly, liking and retweeted stupid shit that doesn’t matter. He guesses he’s happy that his friends are supportive, in their own way. About the school thing. The Hot Bus Guy thing was mostly just to relieve the growing tension in Dave’s back as he kept typing bullshit.

All of that was bullshit. Why didn’t he just say, “hey guys im not in school i lied to you guys you can stop talking to me if you want i guess” and they’d say “oh no dave we love you and support you and are so happy for you no matter what you do” and they can just laugh and be happy in a moment of bullshit.

Dave sits up in his bed. “Where the fuck did that come from?” he whispers to himself. His phone chimes. He checks it and it’s a message from Rose.

tentacleTherapist [TT] began pestering turntechGodhead [TG] at [21:17]

TT: Can I just say that I’m glad you finally decided to tell John and Jade the truth. I don’t think it was fair to them that you were dishonest for so long.  
TG: yeah thanks  
TT: Is everything okay? I expected more from you.  
TT: Some sort of joke.  
TG: yeah apparently im a joke  
TT: Excuse me? Nowhere did I say that.

turntechGodhead [TG] is offline!

TT: That was very sudden, is everything okay?  
TT: Get back to me when you’re ready to talk, I guess?

tentacleTherapist [TT] ceased pestering turntechGodhead [TG] at [21:21]

Dave stares at his phone for a few minutes before tossing it aside. Rose is right, this attitude is very sudden and he doesn’t even know why he’s doing it.

The door to Dave’s bedroom slams open before he can start to figure out what’s going on. Bro is standing there.

“On the roof. Now,” he says.

“It’s 9:30 at night, why the fuck do you want me on the roof now?” Dave says. Bro’s emotionless face stares back at him, not saying anything. He groans. “Fine, I’m coming.” And Bro is gone.

\--

Dave still has a small bruise under his eye when the spring semester starts. All his other cuts and bruises from that particularly brutal strife session have healed. The still-existing bruise is small enough that it’s covered by his shades.

Dave didn’t realize that the bus would be this crowded. He guesses it makes sense, though. It’s early so people are either going to work or school. It’s the first day of classes, so everyone wants to make sure they get a good seat or whatever. The third bus is the most crowded, though. It’s the one that goes straight to the campus. He swipes his bus pass and looks out to the sea of people, this time mostly students. He can tell by the backpacks.

There are three seats open, and he’s rushing to the one closest to the back of the bus. John told him that it’s usually quieter there, so that’s where he wants to sit in case he has extra studying to do. When Dave gets to the seat he pauses briefly before sitting down. The guy next to him looks oddly familiar but he can’t put his finger on it.

Dave’s phone vibrates a few times and when he checks it, he sees that it’s a memo.

gardenGnostic [GG] RIGHT NOW opened memo on board DAVES FIRST DAY OF COLLEGE

GG: dave!!  
GG: its your first day!!  
GG: what classes are you taking???  
TG: i have mon/wed english and math classes  
TG: tues/thurs intro to photography class  
TG: and a friday bio class w a lab  
EB: good luck with bio  
EB: bio is stupid  
GG: bio is not stupid!!!  
TT: I’ll be more than happy to read your papers for your english class and give feedback.

Dave sees Rose’s message and switches to their chat thread.

turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering tentacleTherapist [TT] at [07:41]

TG: did i apologize for snapping at you a few weeks ago  
TG: cause im sorry  
TG: idk why i did that  
TT: It’s alright.  
TT: I figured that you had been under a lot of stress.  
TT: It was a bit confusing because you had just dropped your load on us in a memo, so I thought the stress would have diminished a bit.  
TG: did you say drop your load  
TG: are you trying to make me make a shit joke  
TG: while im apologizing to you  
TG: we really are friends  
TT: I have to go, class is starting.  
TT: Good luck on your first day.

tentacleTherapist [TT] ceased being pestered by turntechGodhead [TG] at [07:51]

Dave is tapped on the shoulder immediately after Rose ends the conversation. He turns to the guy next to him who says, “The bus stopped, get off.”

Dave stands immediately, apologizing under his breath. The guy that was next to him slides out of the seat and gives Dave a quick look before getting off the bus. Dave follows, stepping down to the back doors and then off of the bus.

turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering tentacleTherapist [TT] at [07:52]

TG: rose  
TG: rose i just saw him  
TG: Hot Bus Guy  
TG: he goes to hcc  
TG: i sat next to him on the bus  
TG: shgfashdgakjdhfa

turntechGodhead [TG] ceased pestering tentacleTherapist [TT] at [07:52]

Dave rushes to his English class. He picked early classes, 8 am’s, 9 am’s. He needed to be able to get to work on time in the afternoons. He gets through the door at 8:01 and slides into a seat in the back.  
The professor is a young woman, probably in her late 20’s or early 30’s. She exudes an “I’m hip with the kids” vibe or, more accurately, an “I love the Harry Potter series” vibe.

Dave scans the classroom while the professor is introducing herself. Her name is Kaitlyn Friedmont, but don’t call her Kaitlyn, it’s Professor Friedmont and while she’s at it it’s pronounced “Freed-Mont” not “Fried-Mont.” As Dave scans his classmates, they stop on one person in particular.

Hot Bus Guy is in his English class, holy fuck.

Dave keeps an eye on Hot Bus Guy while Professor Friedmont is taking roll. She says she’s only going to take roll for the first two weeks, then after that, she’s going to have a sign in sheet.

She calls name after name and time after time she doesn’t call Hot Bus Guy’s. Finally, he hears a familiar name.

“David Strider?” Professor Friedmont calls. Dave raises his hand to let her know that he’s present. “Can you take off your sunglasses?”

“I’d prefer not to,” Dave says. Most students are looking at him now, curious as to who the dipshit is that wears sunglasses indoors.

“You’d prefer not to. Why?” Professor Friedmont says, lowering her clipboard to watch him.

“My family has sensitive eyes. Bright light hurts.”

Professor Friedmont smiles. “Fair enough,” she looks down at the clipboard, “Samantha Thompson?” She’s listing names again and Dave is keeping an eye on Hot Bus Guy.

After a few more names, Professor Friedmont puts down her clipboard and says, with finality, “Karkat Vantas?”

Lo and behold, Hot Bus Guy raises his hand and says, “Here.”

Professor Friedmont smiles and dives into the syllabus, passing it out for everyone to have. She ends class early, after telling everyone that she’s going to split them up into groups for an on-going class assignment during the next session.

As Dave is sliding the syllabus into his bag, he’s approached by a girl and Hot Bus Guy, who he now knows as Karkat Vantas. The girl smacks him in the leg with a cane and her face breaks out into a huge grin.

“Hi, I’m Terezi Pyrope and I hear you have sensitive eyes. How sensitive?” She says.

Dave opens his mouth but says nothing. He’s pretty confused. “Uh, I guess their sensitive enough that bright light hurts but I can still see. I wear these shade usually, so I live, I guess.”

“What do they look like?” Terezi says.

Dave, still confused, looks to Karkat who is looking at him expectantly. He looks down at the cane that smacked him in the leg and takes note of the red and white on it. He looks back up at Terezi and says, “Um, they’re plain black aviators.”

Terezi’s grin widens. “Do you have another class today?”

“Algebra. 9:30.”

Her grin disappears. “Sucks. I have Law and Society at 11. Well, I have to go. Smell ya later, Strider.” And with that, Terezi swings her cane, hitting Karkat’s legs. “Move it, Karkat,” she laughs and walks past him when he does. Karkat follows her and they walk off together.

Dave picks up his bag and walks out of the classroom to track down his next class.

\--

“What makes you so sure she’s blind,” Rose asks later that night on video call.

“She smacked me with a cane, asked what my shades look like, and when I looked at the cane, it was white with a red tip. The hallmarks of a blind girl.” Dave says. He’s leaning back in his chair, recounting his day to Rose.

“She could’ve been messing with you.”

“It’s kinda shitty to pretend to be blind just to freak out some kid who wears sunglasses indoors.”

“You’re right.”

“She was weird, though. Weird like Harley. You know, weird but it’s endearing so you want to get to know her.”

Rose laughs. She’s looking down at a textbook holding a highlighter. “How weird?”

Dave leans forward in his chair. “She introduced herself to me with ‘Hi, I’m Terezi Pyrope, how sensitive are your eyes?’”

“Oh, that’s weird.”

“Yeah, but again, endearing kind of weird.”

Both Rose and Dave’s computers chime with a memo.

“See you in the memo,” Dave says.

turntechGodhead [TG] ended a video call with tentacleTherapist [TT] at [22:14]

ectoBiologist [EB] RIGHT NOW opened a memo on board DAVE HOW WAS YOUR FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

EB: answer the question, dave  
GG: yeah dave!!!  
GG: how was your first day???  
TG: math is stupid  
GG: that cant be all you have to say!!  
EB: yeah didn’t you have two classes today?  
TT: Tell them what you told me.  
TG: a blind girl hit me with her cane  
EB: on… purpose?  
TG: yeah  
GG: ???  
TG: theres a blind girl in my english class and she heard that i wouldnt take off my shades  
TG: so i guess she wanted to talk to me  
TG: and she hit me with her cane  
GG: probably to know where you were?  
TG: yeah probably  
EB: is that all?  
TG: she told me shed smell me later  
TG: which like  
TG: was so fuckin funny  
TG: but i didnt laugh  
TG: it was a weird interaction  
GG: no, dave  
GG: did anything cool happen today?  
TG: i found out the name of Hot Bus Guy  
TT: You didn’t tell me that. You just told me that you accidentally sat next to him on the bus.  
TG: yeah hes also in my english class  
GG: dish!!  
EB: did you talk to him?  
TG: i didnt talk to him  
TG: dude was w terezi  
TG: terezi was the blind girl  
TG: but he like lead her to me i guess  
TT: Dave, cut the shit. What was your divine revelation?  
TG: karkat

\--

When the memo closes later that night and Dave is reclined on his bed, scrolling mindlessly through Twitter, the front door opens and slams shut. His eyes glance to his bedroom door for a second before going back to his phone. He stares at a single tweet for 30 seconds before putting his phone down and getting up. He places a sword next to his door before he opens it and goes to the main stretch of the apartment where the living room and kitchen area.

Bro is in the kitchen, slamming cabinets, the fridge (only swords fall out), and the freezer (surprise, smuppets fall out of this one). Bro finally stops looking for whatever and rests his hands on the sink, leaning in a bit.

“Nothing to eat,” he says.

“Never is,” Dave replies.

“You work at a fucking grocery store, can’t you bring home food once in a while?”

“No, ‘How was school? Did you make any friends? Are you learning things?’ Just, ‘why don’t you buy us food?’” Dave gets his phone from his room and comes back out, typing into his phone. “I’ll order a fucking pizza.”

“You know, I let your ungrateful ass stay here for free. You have a job, you can move out.”

“What do you want on your fucking pizza?”

Bro is silent for a few seconds.

“Tomorrow. 5 am. Bright and early. On the roof.”

“5 am isn’t bright and early, dipshit,” Dave says.

Bro pushes himself off the sink and is gone before Dave can ask about the fucking pizza again.

Dave rolls his eyes and moves to the couch, dropping down on it like a rock. Why is he so heavy all the time? It’s always at night that this happens. His body is so much heavier and every step feels like pulling weights.

He finishes ordering the pizza and waits in the same spot, staring at the floor. Waiting. When the buzzer goes off, Dave lets the pizza guy in. A few minutes later, the guy knocks on the door.

Dave opens the door with a few bills in hand and exchanges them for the pizza. The guy looks into the apartment quickly, letting out a huff of astonishment at the amount of stupid shit that litters the floor.

Dave eats a few slices of pizza and shoves the box with the leftovers into the fridge with the swords. He goes back to his room and collapses on his bed. He scrolls through Twitter and before he knows it, it’s 5 am and he hasn’t slept.

Bro pounds on the door. “On the roof. Now.”

\--

“I want you to use these packets to help you while you read Eleanor & Park. They discuss themes, imagery, and key dialogue. Every two weeks, you and your group will meet up and discuss the chapters that you read and what you pulled from the novel. Any questions?”

No one in the class raises their hands.

“Okay. Let me put you in your groups.”

Professor Friedmont begins putting the students in groups of four, though some will be groups of five, and if anyone from your group drops to let her know and if it gets down to just you, she will put you in another group.

“David Strider, Greg Ramos, Terezi Pyrope, and Karkat Vantas.”

Sweet baby Jesus also who the fuck is Greg Ramos?, Dave thinks to himself. When all the groups have been called, they’re given 10 minutes to get together and exchange contact information. Dave gets up and finds his way to Karkat and Terezi rather than have her get up to get to him. No Greg. Apparently, he didn’t bother to show up to class.

“Hey, guys,” Dave says as he kneels between Karkat and Terezi’s desks. He doesn’t know why he didn’t realize that they were sitting together.

Terezi turns in the direction of Dave’s voice but looks straight over his head. “Strider?”

“Down here, TZ.”

Terezi’s head turns down in the general direction of Dave. “Hey! How weird is it that the three of us got put in a group together?”

“Not very,” Karkat says. “Monday, you had me email her for you to tell her that you wanted this asshole in a group with us. Bad enough you told her to put me in a group with you, I have to work with this dipshit who doesn’t pay attention to bus stops.”

Terezi looks up in the direction of Karkat with a large grin. “Be nice, Karks. Also, you guys take the same bus?”

“Y’all got pesterchum?” Dave asks before Karkat can continue to berate him.

Terezi looks down at Dave again. “I do! gallowsCalibrator.”

Before Dave can stop himself, he blurts out, “Can you even use a phone?”

Karkat starts to say something but Terezi stops him. “While that is very insensitive of you to ask, I can use a phone. I have a text-to-voice function that reads things to me and karkat describes pictures to me.”

“How do you text?”

“Speech-to-text. But my computer has a braille keyboard.”

Dave is silent for a second before he says, “Oh. Sorry I asked.”

“It’s cool. Karkat’s handle is carcinoGeneticist, by the way.”

Dave puts both handles into his phone and tells them his. They both take note of it and Professor Friedmont calls class back together. Dave stands, carefully walking back to his chosen seat.

He hears Karkat whisper to Terezi, “Why do you need him in a group with us?”

Terezi whispers back, “Because this fucking guy doesn’t take sunglasses off indoors. Isn’t that interesting?”

“No,” Karkat whispers back.

Dave slides into his chair and watches the back of Karkat’s head. When he turns to look at him, Dave leans forward and lowers his shades a bit to wink at him. Karkat huffs and turns around.

Dave sits back up and straightens his shades. An immediate feeling of dread overtakes him. Why the fuck did he do that? Don’t be fucking stupid, Dave.

\--

Dave is working on some homework when his computer sounds off a message. He rolls his eyes. He remembers telling Rose, John, and Jade that he was busy and not to bother him. When he checks, he sees that it isn’t from any of them.

gallowsCalibrator [GC] began trolling turntechGodhead [TG] at [19:27]

GC: H3Y D4V1D  
TG: im sorry  
GC: WHY 4R3 YOU SORRY  
TG: leetspeak  
GC: WH4T 4BOUT 1T?  
TG: never seen anybody use it  
TG: i mean back when i was like 12  
TG: my bro john used to use it on online games  
TG: kid thought it made him cool or some shit  
GC: 1 TH1NK 1TS PR3TTY COOL, YOU SHOULD TRY 1T SOM3TIM3  
GC: >:]  
TG: no  
TG: whats up tz  
TG: im busy  
GC: W4NT3D TO MAKE SUR3 1 H4D TH3 R1GHT P3RSON  
GC: 1M TRY1N TO G3T K4RK4T TO M3SS4G3 YOU, TOO  
GC: BUT K4RK4T 1S UND3R TH3 1MPR3SS1ON TH4T YOU’RE 4 HUG3 DOUCH3  
TG: homeboy would be right on that  
TG: tz im busy doin school work i g2g  
GC: WOW BOR1NG  
GC: WH4T3V3R  
GC: 3XP3CT 4 M3SS4G3 FROM K4RK4T SOON THOUGH  
GC: SM3LL YOU L4T3R D4V1D  
TG: u can just call me dave  
GC: >:]

gallowsCalibrator [GC] ceased trolling turntechGodhead [TG] at [19:34]

\--

carcinoGeneticist [CG] began trolling turntechGodhead [TG] at [03:39]

CG: OKAY, LET ME GET ONE THING STRAIGHT  
CG: I THINK YOU’RE THE BIGGEST DOUCHEBAG ON THE PLANET. FOR MULTIPLE REASONS. ONE, YOU WEAR THOSE UGLY FUCKING SUNGLASSES INDOORS WHICH IS FUCKING RIDICULOUS. TWO, YOU DON’T PAY ATTENTION TO THE BUS AND WHERE IT IS. THREE, YOU ARE CONSTANTLY SITTING NEXT TO ME ON THE BUS. TO SCHOOL, AWAY FROM SCHOOL. WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU, WHY DO YOU KEEP SITTING NEXT TO ME.  
CG: I’M ONLY MESSAGING YOU BECAUSE TEREZI MADE ME PROMISE TO MAKE SOME FORM OF AN ATTEMPT AT TALKING TO YOU BEFORE MAKING MY FINAL JUDGEMENT ON YOU.  
CG: WHICH GUESS WHAT? TOO FUCKING LATE. I ALREADY HATE YOU. WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THAT?  
TG: i got one question  
CG: WHAT IS IT?  
TG: why come urs and tzs things say ur trolling me  
TG: mine always says pestering  
TG: whats w yours  
CG: BEFORE I GET INTO EXPLAINING THAT, WHY THE FUCK DID YOU HONEST TO FUCKING GOD TYPE OUT “WHY COME”? IT’S A GOOD THING YOU’RE IN AN ENGLISH CLASS BECAUSE YOUR WRITING IS GOD AWFUL. NO CAPITALIZATION, NO PUNCTUATION, IMPROPER GRAMMAR. I FUCKING HATE YOU.  
TG: oh ya  
TG: says the guy who literally has all caps  
TG: you cant always b yelling dawg  
TG: simmer down  
TG: also ya why does it say trolling  
CG: PESTERCHUM HAS A FUNCTION WHERE YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR THEME TO SOMETHING CALL “TROLLIAN.” TEREZI, ALL OUR FRIENDS, AND I USE TROLLIAN.  
TG: all your friends  
TG: u have friends  
TG: im shocked  
TG: surprised  
TG: baffled really  
CG: YES, I HAVE FRIENDS. I HAPPEN TO BE PRETTY LIKEABLE. NOT LIKE YOU AND YOUR BLITHERING FACE BILE.  
TG: i like blithering face bile  
TG: ima have to use that sometime  
TG: also dude thats fuckin rude  
TG: i got friends  
TG: a whole 3  
TG: which is impressive seeing as how i met them and how long ive known them  
CG: THREE FRIENDS? HAH. HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH. I HAVE A WHOLE ELEVEN FRIENDS IF YOU COUNT TEREZI IN THAT NUMBER. ALTHOUGH SOME OF THEM, I WOULDN’T EXACTLY COUNT AS FRIENDS.  
TG: ok count the ones u consider friends  
TG: how many u got  
CG: ...TWO  
TG: wow  
TG: dude while id love to sit and shoot the shit w u  
TG: i would like to continue my perfect evening of doing  
TG: oh thats right anything else  
TG: later dude  
CG: WAIT.  
CG: DO YOU NOT KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS?  
TG: idk man  
TG: not midnight yet  
CG: IT’S FOUR IN THE FUCKING MORNING.  
TG: youre shitting me  
CG: I CAN ASSURE YOU, I AM NOT SHITTING YOU.

turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering tentacleTherapist [TT] at [04:02]

TG: rose what time is it  
TT: Excuse me?  
TT: It’s 5 am for me. I had another hour to sleep, thank you.  
TG: you wake up at 6 am  
TT: I have an 8 am. I like to eat and get ready for class.  
TT: Did you sleep at all last night?  
TG: no  
TG: thanks

turntechGodhead [TG] ceased pestering tentacleTherapist [TT] at [04:08]

TG: ok listen karkat  
TG: leave me alone so i can try to get some shut eye  
TG: i just realized i didnt sleep at all tonight  
TG: and i can get that good good sleep cycle in if i crash  
TG: like right fuckin now  
TG: thanks a lot for the chat  
TG: kiss your mom for me

turntechGodhead [TG] ceased being trolled by carcinoGeneticist [CG] at [04:10]

\--

Dave is running late. The bus was unusually slow coming home from school today and he only has a few minutes to change his clothes before he has to leave for work.

The spring semester is only a few weeks in. He’s had time to settle into a routine, become friends with Terezi, and make absolutely zero headway on getting Karkat to be somewhat nice to him. That’s alright, though. Why have a semi-friend who’s nice to you when you can have a semi-friend who’s mean to you and you make inappropriate jokes at, right?

Anyway一Dave is running late. When he’s finally dressed and heading to the door, he sees it. The note. It’s placed neatly on a surprisingly clean countertop and all it says is, ‘Roof. As soon as you get home.’

Dave pauses for a second, thinking about what he should do. He can go on the roof and be late to work. Possibly miss work entirely and then have to deal with those consequences. Or he could not go.

Not going sounds like a good option right now.

Dave doesn’t go.

\--

turntechGodhead [TG] RIGHT NOW opened a memo on board WHAT GOOD GODDAMN KIDS ELEANOR AND PARK ARE.

TG: hey guys  
TG: not gonna make it to class tomorrow  
TG: shit came up  
GC: WH4T H4PP3N3D?  
CG: THE ONLY WAY YOU’RE GETTING OUT OF COMING TO CLASS TO WORK ON THIS LIT ASSIGNMENT IS IF YOU BROKE LITERALLY ALL OF YOUR BONES. EVERY SINGLE BONE HAS TO BE BROKEN. ALL TWO HUNDRED AND SIX.  
TG: keep talking like that karkat and im gonna have 207  
CG: FUCK OFF, YOU’RE LITERALLY DISGUSTING.  
TG: anyway  
TG: karkat u were right on the money  
TG: broke my arm dickin around in my room with a sword  
TG: literally fell into a pile of swords  
TG: anyway im gonna be on painkillers tomorrow so im not goin anywhere  
TG: just gonna chill here and catch up on my zs  
GC: D4V3, 1’M SUR3 K4RK4T WOULD LOV3 TO BR1NG YOU YOU’R3 4SS1GNM3NTS FROM 3NGL1SH.  
CG: LEAVE ME THE FUCK OUT OF THIS.  
TG: oh yeah karkat  
TG: ill repay you with a little kiss  
CG: JUMP OFF THE ROOF OF YOUR BUILDING AND DIE OR I WILL LITERALLY PUSH YOU OFF YOU WORTHLESS SACK OF SHIT.  
TG: wow so rude  
TG: thanks for understanding tz  
TG: chaboi striderino has to go now  
TG: headin home

turntechGodhead [TG] RIGHT NOW closed a memo on board WHAT GOOD GODDAMN KIDS ELEANOR AND PARK ARE.

Dave steps onto the bus, swipes his pass, and sits in the nearest open seat. He looks down at his arm in its cast and sighs. He should’ve gone to the fucking roof.

When he got home after work, Bro was waiting for him in the kitchen and was furious. They didn’t even go to the roof. Bro just wailed on him, right there in the living room. When Dave gets home he has to clean whatever possible blood is on the floor.

He doesn’t even know for sure if he did bleed. He vaguely remembers through pain-laced consciousness that the doctors said something about bone poking through the skin but doesn’t remember whether or not they said it did or didn’t.

One thing he does remember is Bro driving him to the hospital and telling him to get out and bus it home. He doesn’t listen to music on the bus because he didn’t bring his headphones. He doesn’t check his messages, either, because he just can’t bring himself to look at his phone.

When he gets home, he turns on the light and checks to see if there’s any blood on the carpet, which there isn’t. He turns off the light and goes to his room, collapsing on his bed and not bothering to change out of his clothes.

He finally checks his phone and sees that he missed a memo with John, Jade, and Rose and a few messages from John and Rose. He puts his phone aside and gets up. He goes to the stereo and turns it on then to his computer and wakes it up. He opens Spotify and randomizes a playlist of music he feels particularly interested in these days. Dull music from his stereo fills the room as he makes his way back to his bed.

It’s the fourth night in a row that Dave only gets an hour or so of sleep. He’s exhausted when he wakes up at 6 am, but the song’s backbeat is really annoying so he needs to get up to change it. He stumbles to his desk, falling into his chair and shutting off the music altogether.

He stands, still wobbly, and leaves his room. The living room and kitchen are both empty, he notes as he stumbles to the fridge. Swords fall out of it, as usual, so he looks down at his feet. Still wearing shoes? Perfect. Starbucks.

Dave makes sure to get his headphones this time so he’s not open to small talk on the bus. He takes a quick ride to the closest Starbucks and walks in; orders a plain black coffee and a bagel and sits at a table by himself.

It’s a quiet morning and bound to be a quiet day. He takes the bus after that to a park. A bigger, nicer one, out of the way of his apartment. He sits on a bench, just watching the grass for a few hours.

turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering carcinoGeneticist [CG] at [11:03]

TG: yo wya  
CG: OKAY ONE, IT’S SURPRISING THAT YOU’D CHOOSE TO MESSAGE ME, OF ALL PEOPLE, WHEN YOU COULD EASILY MESSAGE TEREZI OR ONE OF YOUR SUPPOSED FRIENDS.  
CG: ARE YOU OKAY IN THE HEAD? DID YOU HIT IT WHEN YOU WERE BEING A DIPSHIT WITH SWORDS LAST NIGHT? BREAK YOUR ARM AND YOUR SKULL?  
TG: tz is in class i figured she wouldnt look at her phone  
TG: or listen to it at least  
TG: also those nerds are busy w classes i think  
TG: at least one is defo in class rn  
CG: AREN’T YOU SUPPOSED TO BE AT HOME ON PAINKILLERS?  
TG: ya i got an hour of sleep last night  
TG: left and forgot to take them  
TG: so chaboi is in some serious pain  
TG: and also at the park  
CG: WHY WOULD YOU GO TO A PARK?  
TG: i had already left to go to sb dawg  
CG: I’M BUSY, STRIDER, I DON’T NEED YOUR BULLSHIT. I’M GOING.

carcinoGeneticist [CG] ceased being pestered by turntechGodhead [TG] at [11:11]

Dave winces as he repositions his arm. He waits a bit before he stands. He goes back to the bus stop and takes the longer-than-usual trip back home.

Bro is in the living room when he gets home. He looks at Dave with an emotionless expression then goes back to what he’s doing. Dave sighs and quickly, yet quietly, hurries to his bedroom.

\--

turntechGodhead [TG] began a video call with tentacleTherapist [TT] at [19:37]

Rose answers the call, bare-faced with her hair wet. Before she can say anything, Dave holds his broken arm in view of the camera. Rose gasps. 

“What happened?” Rose almost yells.

“I didn’t go to the roof. My one at of self-preservation literally could’ve killed me. Do you see my face? Do you see this shit? Fucking ridiculous,” Dave says.

“Bro did that to you.”

“Yes.”

“Because you didn’t go onto the roof when he told you to?”

“Yeppers.”

“That’s horrible, Dave.” Rose pauses, “You have a cast.”

Dave’s face breaks into a sour smile. “Yeah, Rose, I had to go to the hospital.”

“What did you tell them?” Rose leans forward in her seat, moving a copy of Plato’s The Republic from in front of her.

“I told them… I said that I was dickin’ around with some swords and fell into a pile of them that we got lyin’ around.”

“They believed that?”

“Why wouldn’t they? I’m 19, it’s not like they can take me away from Bro.”

Rose sighs, leaning and looking away from her computer. She looks back and Dave and takes a deep breath.

Dave watches her, waiting for her to say something. When she finally opens her mouth, it's the exact words that he thought she’d say.

“Come to New York.”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Responsibilities.”

Rose is shocked. What responsibilities could he possibly have in Houston? He sees her thinking. What responsibilities besides getting his ass kicked on the daily?

Dave rolls his eyes (that she can’t see) and leans forward, elbows on the desk. “Look, Rose, I can’t leave Texas. There’s shit I have going on here. And no offense, New York is shit expensive and not fucking worth it. Especially when I work at a grocery store. And, also, if you want to see my dick, all you have to do is ask.”

Rose’s face scrunches up in disgust. “One, Dave, you’re like a brother to me so fuck that. Two, I’m sure my mother would put you up for a while. Just until I’m back home for the summer. And three,” She pauses, “You need to get out of there. He’s hurting you, and he’s been hurting you.”

“I know, Rose.”

“Come to New York.”

“No.”

tentacleTherapist [TT] ceased a video call with turntechGodhead [TG] at [20:09]

tentacleTherapist [TT] began pestering turntechGodhead [TG] at [20:11]

TT: You seem to be staying in Texas because you think that the abuse一and yes I’m using the “A-word” that you deplore so, so much一is not as bad as it is. I know you always hated when I would psychoanalyze your trauma’s, but you’re displaying classing Stockholm Syndrome. You think that the fraternity between you and your brother excuses the fact that he is beating you to the point where you have a broken arm. You idolize him, even if you espouse vehement hatred toward him.  
TT: You are one of my best friends, Dave, and it kills me to see you in this situation and I want to help you in any way that I can, but you are not letting me.  
TT: This does not just hurt you, it hurts everyone.  
TT: When’s the last time you talked to John? Jade? They told me that you have been ignoring their messages and video calls and they feel like they did something wrong.  
TT: Dave, let us help you.

turntechGodhead [TG] is offline!

TT: You’re so fucking predictable.

tentacleTherapist [TT] ceased pestering turntechGodhead [TG] at [20:21]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For your listening pleasure: "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" by Set it Off.
> 
> I'm fiddling with Terezi's characterization and it's hard to write her for some reason but I'll get better at it. Also, the info I got about her being able to use a phone is from a video on YouTube Shane Dawson did with Molly Burke, a blind youtuber.
> 
> Please don't interpret Rose as the Bad Guy here for kind of being rude? We see the entire story thus far from Dave's perspective so we know that he's dealing with shit. From her perspective, he's suddenly being a dick and no one knows why. So, yeah, I'm no trying to make Rose a bad guy here, I'm trying to make it realistic.


	3. i'd rather drown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are getting worse for Dave at home. Karkat and Terezi have a party. A challenger approaches? Dave is lashing out.

Blood is dripping onto the bathroom floor as Dave uses tweezers to pull small shards of glass out of his knuckles. He winces and lets out a quiet “fuck” when he finally gets the last piece out. He drops the tweezers onto the floor with shaky hands and stands, carefully moving to the bathroom mirror that is barely there. He wipes his wrist across his forehead to move his hair that was stuck to his sweat. A bit of blood smears on his forehead. Fucking perfect. Dave turns to the bathroom doorway where Bro is staring at him.

“You better learn to use a sword with your left hand,” Bro says. He turns to walk away, yelling back, “And clean up that fucking glass!” before disappearing out the front door.

Dave takes his sweet ass time cleaning up the glass and, when he’s done, he goes to his bedroom and falls into his desk chair. He stares down at his hand, shaking his head, then bending down to get a small box from under his desk. Inside is large band-aids, bandage wraps, and cotton balls.

He pulls a few cotton balls out and spreads them out over the cuts on his knuckles. His computer chimes and he looks up to catch the notification.

carcinoGeneticist [CG] began a group video call with turntechGodhead [TG] at [18:57]

Fuck, it’s not even 7? Dave thinks to himself. He sighs and accepts the video call. Karkat and Terezi’s faces appear and before either can say anything, Dave says, “One sec, guys, gotta finish what I’m doing here.”

Karkat scoffs and says, “Oh, you answered a call in the middle of jacking off?”

“Totally, dude,” Dave says as he reaches for the bandage wrap and begins to wrap it around his hand, “I’m just finishing yanking my hog to the thought of your sweet, gentle voice and then I’m gonna clean up and then we’ll get right to it. The project, that is. Unless you’re just dying to see my dick.”

Karkat says nothing as Dave finishes wrapping his hand. He quickly puts all of the bandages away and looks back up. Karkat is still staring at him and Terezi’s phone is reading off a text message.

“N-Not gonna… say anything? Cool, cool, cool, cool. Cool, so uh… project,” Dave says. He watches Karkat’s face twist a bit.

Karkat finally opens his mouth and says, “You have blood on your face.”

Dave reaches up to his face but doesn’t touch it. “Where?”

“Your forehead.”

Dave touches his forehead. He glances at the video of him and takes a sharp breath. “Oh, shit, dude you know what? I popped a fuckin’ zit earlier and shit’s bleeding. Hold on.” He takes a tissue from next to the computer and wipes the blood off of his forehead. “We good?”

Karkat waited for a moment. “Yeah, whatever. We have to work on our fucking project.”

Terezi felt her phone for the lock button and put it down on the table. She slapped her hands together and the three of them worked on putting the finishing touches on their project.

Dave spent the few hours they worked on their group project eyeing Karkat who would often look away from him.

\--

“Why did you have blood on your forehead?” Rose asks later that night. She isn’t looking at him, opting to focus on keeping her highlighter steady.

“I punched the bathroom mirror,” Dave says, almost like he’s in a confessional and the priest is asking him to admit to his sins.

Rose looks up at him. “Why?”

Dave sighs, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the desk. “I don’t know. I was一 Bro had just kicked my ass and I… I had these-these fresh cuts on my face, you know? And I just一” Dave holds his head up by the sides of his face, “I just snapped. I fucking snapped and punched the fucking bathroom mirror.”

Rose winces a bit, imagining herself in that position.

Dave leans back in his chair. “I had to pull glass out of my knuckles with tweezers. Now, I’ve pulled shit out of my skin before, mostly rocks from the gravel on the fucking roof. Never glass. Shit hurt like a motherfucker. And I’d quote that fuckin’ vine but I’m too on edge to do that right now, get back to me later.”

“Anything else?”

“Bro told me to learn how to use a sword with my left hand.”

“Did you go to the hospital?”

Dave smiles and holds his right hand up. “Nah, baby, we take care of that shit right at home. Hotel Artemis this bitch. Also, I want to see that movie when it comes out.”

Rose puts down her highlighter, finally. She gives Dave a look that he knows she got from her mom. “Can you have a serious conversation for once?”

“I am, Rose.”

“You keep making jokes and digressing. Can you just focus?”

“Sorry that me making jokes to ease the tension caused by my own fucking situation is so bothersome to you.”

“That’s not what I’m saying, Dave. I want to know that you know that this is serious.”

“What makes you think I don’t know that?”

Rose doesn’t respond to that. She shakes her head slightly and leans forward. “Dave, I have to go. It’s late and I have to get up early.”

“Fine.”

turntechGodhead [TG] ceased a video call with tentacleTherapist [TT] at [01:02]

turntechGodhead [TG] is offline!

\--

ectoBiologist [EB] began pestering turntechGodhead [TG] at [11:18]

EB: dave!  
EB: sorry it’s been so long since we’ve really talked  
EB: i’ve been super busy  
EB: as i’m sure you have been too  
TG: right on the nose egbert  
TG: all kinds of busy  
TG: so busy all i hear is beeping in my ears nonstop  
TG: thats how busy i am  
EB: you’re talking about busy signals on landlines right?  
TG: u know it kid  
EB: right  
EB: so! dude how have you been?  
EB: rose and jade are kind of worried about you  
EB: but i don’t see why  
TG: theyre worried about me  
EB: yeah!  
EB: they say that you’re not being yourself  
EB: which i think is, frankly, bullshit  
EB: i don’t see a change  
TG: you know me so well egbert  
TG: youre a babe  
TG: u want a kiss  
EB: hm no thanks  
TG: your loss  
EB: you’d tell me if there was something wrong, right?  
EB: we’re best bros!  
EB: that’s what best bros are for!  
TG: trust me egghead  
TG: if there was something wrong  
TG: id tell you  
EB: that’s what i thought  
EB: the semester is almost over  
EB: this summer we’ll get back to our bro chats!  
EB: make up for lost time  
TG: shit dawg  
TG: well be on that bullshit like flies and smell lines  
TG: that shit rhymed  
TG: i gotta write this down  
EB: this is literally a text conversation, numbnuts  
TG: thanks for the memo buddy bitch  
EB: lol  
EB: i gotta go  
EB: talk to you later, shithead  
TG: later

ectoBiologist [EB] ceased pestering turntechGodhead [TG] at [11:32]

Dave flips his phone over and zeros back in on what Karkat and Terezi are talking about. He skipped biology to work on their project together, something that Karkat was very against.

“If you fail your fucking class because you’re not fucking going and then you blame _me_ , I will personally rip your testicles off and feel them to a dog,” Karkat had said.

“Is that just an excuse to feel up my balls, dude?” Dave asked.

Terezi laughed and held her hand out, hoping for a high-five. Dave followed through.

“Cool Kid, what are your plans for tomorrow?” Terezi asks now.

Dave shrugs. “I work in the morning and am pretty free that afternoon and evening. Why, do we need to keep working on this?”

“No, we’re done,” Karkat snaps.

“Really? I feel like I did jack shit,” Dave laughs.

“You did.”

“Oh… cool.” Dave turns back to Terezi, “Why?”

Terezi grins. “Some friends of ours are going to be in town this weekend so we’re having a party at our place.”

“Who’s this ‘our’?” Dave asks.

“Me, Terezi, and her girlfriend,” Karkat says.

Dave’s face brightens and he leans toward Terezi. “Damn, TZ, you never told me you got a girl! What’s she like?”

“A bitch!” Karkat says.

“I didn’t ask you, man. T?”

She laughs. “Oh, she’s a bitch.”

“Fair,” Dave says.

“We want you to come, though. Me and Karkles, over here.”

Dave leans over to Karkat, smirking. “You want me to come, Karkles?”

Karkat stares back at Dave, unimpressed by the not-so-subtle innuendo at play here. “ _She_ wants you to come.”

“Bruise my goddamn ego, shit,” Dave says as he leans away from Karkat. “I’ll show up though. Hit me with that address later, ‘kay?”

“Fine,” Karkat says.

\--

carcinoGeneticist [CG] began trolling turntechGodhead [TG] at [23:01]

carcinoGeneticist [CG] shared their location!  
CG: HERE’S OUR ADDRESS, DIPSHIT.  
CG: WE EXPECT PEOPLE TO START SHOWING UP AROUND 7 PM, SO DON’T SHOW UP ANY EARLIER THAN THAT. IF YOU ALLOW ME TO REITERATE MY EARLIER THREAT IF YOU DO SHOW UP EARLY I WILL PERSONALLY CASTRATE YOU.  
CG: REALLY? NO JOKE ABOUT HOW MUCH I WANT TO “FEEL UP YOUR BALLS,” AS YOU SO ELOQUENTLY PUT IT?  
CG: NO FUCKING WAY. I CAN’T BELIEVE I CAUGHT YOU THE ONE TIME THAT YOU’RE ASLEEP. I HAVE NEVER MESSAGED YOU WHEN YOU WERE SLEEPING. I ALWAYS THOUGHT YOU WERE PROBABLY ALWAYS FUCKING AWAKE. WHICH IS BAD FOR YOU, BY THE WAY.  
CG: WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING? HOW IS THIS WHAT’S HAPPENING? HOW IS THIS THE ONE FUCKING TIME YOU’RE ASLEEP. OF ALL OF THE TIMES THAT I HAVE MESSAGED YOU THAT I WISHED YOU WERE ASLEEP, THE ONE TIME THAT I’M GIVING YOU IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT I ACTUALLY WANT YOUR FEEDBACK CONCERNING, YOU’RE ASLEEP.  
CG: LITERALLY FUCK YOU.  
TG: hi  
CG: WELL, IF IT ISN’T DIPSHIT STRIDER. FINALLY READY TO GRANT ME YOUR PRESENCE, YOU INSUFFERABLE DOUCHE?  
TG: i was caught up bro sorry  
TG: shit happens sometimes  
TG: gotta just deal with it before you can get your dick sucked by karkat vantas  
CG: LITERALLY FUCK OFF, STRIDER. DID YOU SEE THE ADDRESS OR DO I NEED TO SEND IT AGAIN?  
TG: just send it again man  
TG: make my life easier  
CG: ONE, FUCK YOU.  
CG: TWO.  
carcinoGeneticist [CG] shared their location!  
TG: thanks karkles  
TG: u want a kiss  
CG: DO NOT CALL ME “KARKLES” AND WHAT IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?  
TG: tz called u karkles earlier im just repeating it  
TG: i think its supposed to be a portmanteau of ur name and sparkles but i could b wrong  
CG: NO.  
CG: TG: u want a kiss  
CG: WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?  
TG: oh i say that to my buddy john when he’s givin himself a pat on the back  
TG: strokin his ego  
TG: feelin his oats  
TG: dont mean nothin bro  
TG: why  
TG: u actually want a kiss

carcinoGeneticist [CG] ceased trolling turntechGodhead [TG] at [00:13]

Dave laughs to himself when Karkat closes the chat. He opens the webcam on his computer and stares into his face. He pulls his first aid kit from under his desk and gets a pair of tweezers from it. He leans forward and pulls his cheek just under his eye taut, taking the tweezers and slowly pulling the piece of glass from his skin.

During tonight’s strife session, Bro clocked him in the eye, shattering his shades and pressing a piece of the lens in his cheek.

When the piece is out, he drops it and the tweezers onto his desk and stands. Dave drops the broken shades in his trash can next to his desk and goes to his closet and pulls out a back up pair.

He gets the shades on and sits back down at his computer where a message is lit up. Another one from Karkat. Dave laughs and reads the messages while positioning a band-aid over the cut on his cheek.

carcinoGeneticist [CG] began trolling turntechGodhead [TG] at [00:17]

CG: LET ME BEGIN BY SAYING THAT YOU DON’T KNOW ME WELL ENOUGH TO ASK IF I “WANT A KISS” FROM YOU. AT THIS POINT IN OUR RELATIONSHIPーOUR STRICTLY PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIPーWE ARE COLLEAGUES WHO SHARE A CLASS TOGETHER. NOTHING MORE, NOTHING LESS.  
CG: FURTHERMORE, JUST FLAT OUT DON’T ASK ME FOR A KISS. I’M TOO BUSY FOR A KISS AND YOU DON’T KNOW THAT BECAUSE WE ARE, AS STATED BEFORE, COLLEAGUES.  
CG: NOW, BEFORE YOU GO ON A TIRADE, CALLING US “FRIENDS” OR “BROS” AND CITING EVIDENCE THAT YOU ARE COMING TO MY HOUSE TOMORROW FOR A PARTY, LET ME REMIND YOU THAT IT WAS TEREZI WHO INVITED YOU. NOT ME. YOU CAN BE FRIENDS WITH TEREZI ALL YOU WANT, WE ARE NOT FRIENDS.  
CG: FINALLY, I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT I DO NOT WANT TO “GIVE YOU A KISS” BECAUSE I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE YOUR MOUTH HAS BEEN. FOR ALL I KNOW, IN YOUR SPARE TIME YOU LICK DIRTY TIRES OR *ANYTHING* ELSE THAT IS DISGUSTING.  
CG: DO NOT ASK ME IF I WANT A KISS AGAIN.  
CG: FINALLY-FINALLY, FUCK YOU.  
CG: I HOPE I DON’T SEE YOU TOMORROW.

carcinoGeneticist [CG] ceased trolling turntechGodhead [TG] at [00:24]

In the time since Dave has known Karkat, he wouldn’t say he has a “crush” on him. Just that their relationship is closer to that of classmate friends. You know, friends that you know for the duration of a class and then never speak to again? Those kinds of friends. Although, Dave would be lying if he said that he still didn’t think Karkat was pretty hot. Once a Hot Bus Guy, always a Hot Bus Guy.

Dave stands from his computer and takes the few steps to his bed, collapsing onto it. He rolls over onto his back and stares at the ceiling.

Next thing he knows, it’s 6 am and time to get ready for work.

\--

Dave found Karkat and Terezi’s house easily; it was really fucking loud. He showed up at 8, later than Karkat said to but hopefully earlier than any other “extras” that they may have invited. The front door was open, which Dave took as a sign to just ease his way in.

Inside, the music was even louder and there were more people than he expected to be there. Apparently, Terezi tried to invite as many “extras” as she could. Dave wandered around until he found Terezi, sitting on the couch, facing forward with a grin as a girl next to her spoke aggressively, yet comfortably, into her ear. He approached the two, gently touching Terezi’s shoulder once he was close enough.

“Hey, TZ, I made it,” he says. The girl leaning on Terezi looks up at him, eyeing him carefully with holy shit that is a haunting eye.

“Cool Kid!” Terezi yells. She grabs his hand from her shoulder and the hand of the girl next to her and holds them close together. “Vriska, this is Dave, one of my and Karkat’s classmates. Cool Kid, this is Vriska. My girlfriend.”

Dave holds his hand out to shake Vriska’s hand and she slowly and shakily takes his and gives it a weak shake.

“‘Sup, Vriska,” Dave says.

“So, you’re the infamous Dave Strider,” Vriska says with a smile.

Dave perches himself on the arm of a chair next to them. “Infamous or famous, because those are two very different words, dawg.”

Vriska clicks her tongue on her teeth, still smiling. “Infamous.”

Dave laughs awkwardly, looking away from Vriska and her wicked intense eye holy shit.

“She usually never takes Karkat’s word for things, but this time she did,” Terezi says.

“Yeah, he thinks I got some fuckin’ infamy?” Dave says, trying to joke away his awkwardness.

“Nah, he just shit talks you a lot,” Vriska says, taking a sip from the drink in her hand that he didn’t shake. Dave notes that its movements are surprisingly fluid. “At least to me,” he adds.

“Right...um, bye,” Dave says, immediately getting up and hurrying through a doorway to the kitchen. There are significantly fewer people in here, as well as most of the alcohol. Dave takes advantage of this does, what he would call, bucking down on those drinks.

\--

The night is a blur to Dave, for the most part. He drinks too much, partly because hey, it’s a fucking party right? And partly because he got the shit kicked out of him last night and this one is to stop the headache. It’s a bad way to do that, admittedly, but it’s a way.

Dave instantly regrets that choice, when he wakes up in the morning. His head hurts, his back hurts, his whole body hurts in general from Friday’s ass-kicking. He sits up from where he passed out and looks around and this is not where he passed out the night before. He distinctly remembers passing out against the wall in the living room, not this… suspiciously clean bedroom.

He turns to the side table next to him where there’s a glass of water, two ibuprofen, and a note. He picks up the note to read it:

“DAVE, YOU PASSED OUT IN OUR FUCKING LIVING ROOM, FUCK YOU. TEREZI HOPES YOU’RE OKAY BUT I HONESTLY COULDN’T CARE LESS. IF YOU SLEEP PAST NOON, I’M DRAGGING YOU OUT OF THAT BED AND INTO THE YARD WHERE I’M GOING TO SPRAY YOU WITH A HOSE. -KARKAT”

Dave groans and feels his pockets for his phone. When it's not there, he feels around the sheets and eventually locates it. Lucky for him, it’s only 10:15, so no hose. Dave looks back at the note and flips it over, wondering if there’s anything else on it.

“You’re pretty heavy, dude. I hope I never have to lift you again. If Vantas says that he lifted you alone or that he even can, he’s a fucking liar. -Vriska”

Dave blinks and puts the note back on the side table, downing the water and ibuprofen. He swings his legs off of the bed, and a general ache overtakes his body. He stands and more pain, starting at his temples, shoots through his body. He takes a step, kicking his shoes in the process. He grunts at them and slowly stumbles out of the bedroom. He makes his way down the hall until he’s back in the living room.

Vriska is on the couch, he sees. He stumbles around it and sits next to her. She looks at him with her haunting eye and says, louder than necessary, “Good morning.”

Dave groans, causing Vriska to laugh and Dave groans louder.

“There’s coffee in the kitchen,” Vriska says.

“I just sat down, I ain’t goin’ nowhere,” Dave says. He waits for a bit before saying, “How did I get in there?”

“Did you not read the note?” Vriska changes the channel a few times.

“Nah, I did. But I know you didn’t carry me by yourself.”

Vriska smiles. “No, Karkat, Kanaya, and I carried you. You’re heavy.”

“Yeah, you said that; who the fuck is Kanaya?”

Vriska glances at him briefly before changing the channel a few more times. “One of our friends that was in town this weekend.”

Dave is quiet for a bit. “Why do I know that name?”

“What name?” A few more channels.

“Kanaya.”

“I just said it?” A few more.

“Out of this context.”

The front door opens and Dave and Vriska turn to see Karkat holding a few days worth of mail. Karkat looks up at and sees Dave. “Oh, you’re up.”

“Yeah,” Dave says, “And I feel like I’m fuckin’ dying.”

“Oh, my god!” Vriska shouts. “We could’ve operated on you, you were so out of it.”

“I don’t gotta be drunk to get operated on,” Dave says quietly.

“What?” Vriska and Karkat say at the same time.

“Nothing.”

Karkat walks into the living room, closing the front door and locking the doorknob. He puts the mail on the running table behind the couch and says, “Uh, Dave, do you need to talk about something?”

“What? No. Do I look like the kind of dude who talks about his feelings?” Dave says quickly.

“No, you justーyou said some pretty fucked up shit last night when you were drunk, andー”

“I don’t need to talk, Vantas,” Dave snaps.

“Dave, I’m just trying to help.”

“Holy fucking shit,” Dave says, standing. “I don’t need any help! I’m cool, I’m good, I’m like that fuckin’ rapper who goes on and on about Gucci Gang or whatever the fuck! I’m that, I’m cool, I’m great, and I don’t need help!”

“Oh, so fuck me then, huh, for trying to be your friend!” Karkat snaps.

“You said it your fuckin’ self the other day, dude, we’re not friends!” And with that, Dave gets his shoes from the room he woke up in and is out the front door. It’s not until he’s on the bus that it hits him.

Why did he fucking do that?

\--

gardenGnostic [GG] began pestering turntechGodhead [TG] at [18:07]

GG: dave! :0  
GG: we havent talked in a while and i heard you talk to john  
GG: i wanted to get an update of my own  
GG: how are you!!  
GG: hows school going!  
GG: dave?  
GG: i know youre online strider you cant hide from me!  
TG: im not in the mood harley  
TG: im having a helluva day  
GG: oh no! :0  
GG: do you need to talk about it??  
GG: or taco bout it  
GG: he he  
TG: harley im supes fuckin glad that you like that taco bout it joke  
TG: thats the cutest shit  
GG: well im the cutest shit so  
TG: youre so right  
GG: tell me about your day  
TG: ha ha  
TG: no  
GG: come on dave  
GG: you said youre having a helluva day  
GG: its helpful to talk about it  
GG: rose would call it cathartic  
GG: im calling it helpful  
TG: im callin it a waste of time  
GG: give me the cliffsnotes??  
TG: i yelled a someone today  
GG: bro??  
TG: fuck no holy shit  
TG: no a classmate  
TG: who deadass told me that hes not my friend  
TG: and then less than 48 hrs later  
TG: tried to tell me that he was my friend  
TG: that shit dont fly he gotta pick one  
GG: i think youre being a liiiiiiiiittle overdramatic dave  
GG: just let him be a friend!  
TG: harley  
TG: ur a doll  
TG: but no  
TG: he told me hes trying to help me  
GG: why is that so bad?? :0  
TG: i literally do not need help  
TG: im great  
TG: just peachy  
GG: and that literally sounds like something someone who needed help would say  
GG: is everything okay?  
TG: i dont wanna talk about it  
GG: well when youre ready let me know  
GG: do you want me to let you go??  
TG: yah  
GG: ok  
GG: we love you dave and we just want to be there for you  
GG: and let this classmate be youre friend!!!

gardenGnostic [GG] ceased pestering turntechGodhead [TG] at [18:42]

\--

carcinoGeneticist [CG] began trolling turntechGodhead [TG] at [22:58]

CG: OKAY, SO LISTEN YOU SHITHEAD. LAST NIGHT WHEN YOU WERE DRUNK, YOU GOT INTO IT WITH SOMEONE FROM SCHOOL THAT TEREZI INVITED WHEN HE ASKED ABOUT YOUR CHEEK, AND YOU MENTIONED SOME DARK SHIT ABOUT YOUR “BRO” WHO I’M GUESSING IS YOUR BROTHER AND IT WAS PRETTY ALARMING.  
CG: LIKE, THERE WAS SOME SERIOUS IMPLICATIONS THERE. NORMALLY, I’M NOT ONE TO LOOK INTO SHIT LIKE THIS BUT IT WAS *DARK*. ALL I WANTED TO KNOW WAS THAT SHIT WAS OKAY THERE, ALRIGHT? YOU DIDN’T NEED TO BITE MY HEAD OFF FOR TRYING TO BE HELPFUL.  
CG: TRUST ME, STRIDER, IF WHAT YOU IMPLIED IS HAPPENING AT YOUR HOUSE *IS* HAPPENING, YOU DO NEED HELP. THAT SHIT IS FUCKED UP AND NOBODY DESERVES THAT, EVEN ANNOYING DILHOLES LIKE YOU. IF WE WANT TO CALL MY CARING THAT YOU’RE NOT GETTING THE SHIT BEAT OUT OF YOU REGULARLY “FRIENDSHIP,” THEN FUCK IT, WE’RE FRIENDS.  
CG: TEREZI AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU’RE NOT GOING TO SHOW UP TO SCHOOL HALF DEAD ONE DAY. FUCK, EVEN VRISKA WAS SOMEWHAT WORRIED ABOUT YOU, AND SHE WORRIES SOLELY ABOUT HERSELF 90% OF THE TIME (THE OTHER 10% SHE WORRIES ABOUT TEREZI).  
CG: SO I’M GOING TO ASK ONCE AND FOR ALL: IS EVERYTHING OKAY OVER THERE? DO WE HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT YOU?

turntechGodhead [TG] is offline!

carcinoGeneticist [CG] ceased trolling turntechGodhead [TG] at [23:32]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check this out, if there are typos ignore them because I proofread these once and then run them through Grammarly for big mistakes. Also, let's play a game of is this Dave Strider's canon speech pattern or me projecting Griffin McElroy onto him? I'm kidding please just read this.
> 
> For your listening pleasure: "I'd Rather Drown" by Set It Off. I tried not to do a Set It Off song two chapters in a row but it be like that sometimes.
> 
> Feel free to follow me on tumblr! forestknifefight.tumblr.com


	4. pray for me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a lot going on these days. Dave has some serious issues. Wait, who is she again? Karkat learns something pretty bad.

It’s 3:35 in the morning, the day of Dave’s last final of his first semester of college. A good student would be sleeping, preparing in anticipation for that glorious last day. Dave is a good student, don’t get him wrong; he just doesn’t have the luxury of sleeping this morning.

He’s up, arguing with Bro.

Bro is pissed that Dave has barely been home in three weeks. Arguments include, “I don’t see you here,” and, “You’ve missed the roof every day for almost a month,” and, “You need to be here, you ingrate.”

Dave is livid. His arguments include, “I’m here when you’re gone or asleep, that’s why you don’t see me,” and, “I’ve been working and studying and going to class, it’s not like I’m fucking off somewhere,” and, “I literally don’t need to do shit.”

It’s loud. Dave is trying to keep Bro quiet so none of the neighbors call the police but he’s getting louder. Louder and louder until they’re nose to nose; one screaming, one trying to keep the other calm.

One second, all Dave hears is Bro yelling and the next there’s a ringing in his ears and something running down his face. Bro’s hand is gripping Dave’s hair tight and pulling his head up from the counter. Bro pushes him away and he stumbles, tripping over some of Bro’s puppets and lands in a pile of swords. Bro waits a second before turning and walking out the front door.

\--

carcinoGeneticist [CG] began trolling turntechGodhead [TG] at [13:21]

CG: WHERE THE FUCK WERE YOU TODAY? I HAD TO DO THE PRESENTATION LITERALLY BY MYSELF BECAUSE YOU DIDN’T DEIGN TO SHOW UP AND TEREZI HAD TO BE IN CHARGE OF FORWARDING THE SLIDES BECAUSE SHE CAN’T FUCKING READ THE COPY I WROTE.  
CG: I WAS ACTUALLY DEPENDING ON YOU, HERE. AND YOU LET ME THE FUCK DOWN. GREAT JOB, STRIDER.  
CG: WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TO YOU?  
TG: man dont worry abt it  
TG: i emailed friedmont and told her what was up  
TG: in so many words  
CG: WELL, YOU NEGLECTED TO TELL ME OR TEREZI, DOUCHEBAG. WOULD YOU BE SO KIND AS TO GRACE ME WITH EVEN A BULLSHIT REASON THAT YOU DIDN’T SHOW UP FOR OUR PRESENTATION?  
TG: shit came up dawg  
TG: it be like that sometimes  
TG: no biggie  
TG: im sacrificin the points  
CG: THAT’S LITERAL BULLSHIT AND YOU’RE REALLY FUCKING STUPID. WHY WOULD YOU SACRIFICE POINTS THAT YOU GET FOR LITERALLY SHOWING UP AND SAYING WORDS? THAT IS THE DUMBEST THING I COULD THINK OF, EVER, IN MY LIFE.  
TG: bro  
TG: its not that big a deal for me  
TG: and besides shit came up  
TG: i just said that  
TG: also u cant complain that thats a bullshit answer when you legit said i could give a bullshit answer  
TG: so jot that down  
CG: OKAY, YOU’RE RIGHT. I SAID A BULLSHIT ANSWER WOULD SUFFICE. HOWEVER, BUILDING OFF OF THAT, FUCK YOU. WHAT IS GOING ON?  
CG: ALSO, ARE YOU ACTUALLY TRYING TO MAKE A JOKE OUT OF THIS WITH YOUR “JOT THAT DOWN” BULLSHIT?  
TG: dude  
TG: its not that deep  
TG: why are you botherin w this anyway  
TG: youve told me for weeks that you cant wait to not have to deal w me anymore  
TG: and then we were friends apparently  
TG: n now im an idiot  
TG: tf is happening bro  
CG: IF YOU REMEMBER, I TOLD YOU THAT WE’RE FRIENDS. YOU WEREN’T ANSWERING ME.  
TG: no i remember  
TG: u asked me if there was shit goin down here  
TG: and if u worryin abt me could constitute friendship  
CG: OH RIGHT. BECAUSE YOU MADE THE HORRIBLE IMPLICATION THAT YOUR BRO IS BEATING THE SHIT OUT OF YOU REGULARLY. WHICH, BY THE WAY, IS HE? BECAUSE IF HE IS WE CAN GET YOU OUT OF THERE.  
TG: yeah dont fuckin worry abt that  
CG: THAT IS A MAJOR RED FLAG THAT SCREAMS AT ME, “KARKAT, MY BROTHER BEATS THE SHIT OUT OF ME REGULARLY AND (PROBABLY) HAS FOR A WHILE NOW.”  
CG: YOU HAVEN’T ANSWERED FOR 23 MINUTES, ARE YOU OKAY?  
CG: DAVE.

turntechGodhead [TG] ceased being trolled by carcinoGeneticist [CG] at [14:54]

turntechGodhead [TG] has blocked carcinoGeneticist [CG]!

\--

It’s three weeks after Dave blocked Karkat on pesterchum. In that time he didn’t hear from Terezi at all, which doesn’t surprise him. She was Karkat’s friend first, why would she bother with Dave?

Strife sessions became less frequent after Bro smashed Dave’s face into the kitchen counter. Bro has been home less frequently, actually. Dave doesn’t know where he is most of the time.

He still hasn’t told anyone about it, not even Rose, who usually gets to hear every gory detail. This would be too much for her, he knew. He did manage to clean himself up, though. He stuck a thick bandage over the large cut that he replaces and cleans every other day. Normally, he’d stitch up any cuts he gets during a strife session but a) this wasn’t a strife session, this was a full on “Bro-Was-Angry-And-Bashed-His-Head-In” situation and b) the idea of taking a needle and thread to his head made him nauseous.

Tonight is the third night in a row that Bro hasn’t come home and Dave isn’t too worried. He’s usually gone 3 or 4 nights at a time.

Dave is just home from work, relaxing in front of his computer, finishing up an assignment for one of his online classes. When he’s done, he starts to deal with the cut on his head. While doing this, his computer chimes with a message.

gallowsCalibrator [CG] began trolling turntechGodhead [TG] at [20:15]

GC: D4V3, W3 N33D TO T4LK 4BOUT SOM3TH1NG  
GC: YOU SHOULD UNBLOCK K4RK4T  
TG: why are you tellin me now  
TG: 3 weeks after the fact  
GC: W3’V3 B33N T4LK1NG 4BOUT 1T FOR 4 WH1LE  
GC: W3 TH1NK YOU AND K4RK4T SHOULD H4SH SH1T OUT  
TG: whose we  
GC: OH  
GC: M3 4ND K4N4Y4  
TG: who tf is kanaya  
GC: SH3 H3LP3D K4RK4T 4ND VR1SK4 C4RRY YOU TO OUR SP4R3 ROOM WH3N YOU W3R3 P4SS3D OUT 4T OUR P4RTY  
GC: BUT L3T'S G3T B4CK TO TH3 PO1NT  
TG: youre bein unusually serious here tz  
TG: real weird comin from u  
GC: W3LL SOM3T1M3S W3 N33D TO H4V3 4 S3R1OUS CONV3R4T1ON D4V3  
GC: 1 C4N’T 4NT4GON1Z3 YOU 4LL TH3 T1M3  
GC: BUT YOU R34LLY N33D TO UNBLOCK K4RK4T 4ND T4LK TO H1M 4BOUT YOUR 1SSU3S  
TG: ill think about it  
GC: YOU’LL TH1NK 4BOUT 1T?  
GC: TH4T’S PR3TTY SH1TTY  
TG: it be like that sometimes  
TG: i gotta go  
TG: ill think about it

turntechGodhead [TG] ceased being trolled by gallowsCalibrator [GC] at [20:37]

Dave closes the chat window and continues replacing the bandage on his now clean head wound. He puts away his first aid kit and starts scrolling absently through twitter on his phone. He’s still at his desk, just not on the computer; a common behavior for him.

His computer chimes again and Dave groans. He opens the new chat window ready to tell Terezi to fuck off without saying the words “fuck off” but who the fuck is this?

grimAuxiliatrix [GA] began trolling turntechGodhead [TG] at [20:51]

GA: You Need To Unblock Karkat  
TG: who the fuck are you even  
GA: The Honest Answer Would Be That My Name Is Kanaya And That We Have Met In Passing  
GA: I Have Also Carried You During An Event Where You Became Unconscious Following Uh  
GA: Getting Pretty Fucked Up  
GA: However You Could Have Also Been Joking I Dont Know Your Speech Patterns Very Well  
TG: so what ur sayin is  
TG: u got my handle from tz  
TG: or karkat  
GA: Both Are Incorrect Actually  
GA: I Came Into Possession Of Your Chumhandle Through An Unexpected Mutual Connection  
GA: After Many Meetings Where I Vented About Things That Were Troubling Me It Came To My Attention That You Are Close With Someone I Recently Met In The Last Year  
TG: and who is that  
GA: Rose  
TG: oh shit u know lalonde  
TG: and also karkat and tz  
TG: thats fuckin weird  
TG: like thats some findin out that its neandertal not neanderthal bullshit  
TG: straight up blows my mind  
TG: changes everything i know  
GA: You Are Uh  
GA: Joking Right  
GA: You Joke In A Similar Way That Rose Does Which Is To Mean In A Way That Im Not Completely Used To But Am Catching On  
TG: cool at least youre gettin the hang of it  
TG: why did she give u my handle again  
GA: Oh Right  
GA: It Makes Sense That You Would Like To Know Why It Was Her And Not Terezi or Karkat  
GA: I Do Not Exactly Want Terezi Or Karkat To Know That I Am Talking To You Today  
GA: Or Ever For That Matter  
GA: Not Until After You And Karkat Resolve Your Issues  
TG: that still dont explain why u asked rose  
TG: or even know that she knew me for that matter  
GA: I Have Known That She Knows You And That You Know Terezi And Karkat For Quite Sometime Now  
GA: She And I Talk About Our Lives With Each Other Thank You  
TG: sounds like ur implying smth about how tz karkat n i interacted  
TG: n ur right on the nose thanks  
TG: n e way  
TG: idk lastname talkin to karkat would b weird probs  
GA: Before We Divulge Into Why It Would Be Weird  
GA: Why Did You Write Lastname  
GA: My Name Is Kanaya I Told You That  
TG: whats ur last name  
GA: Maryam  
TG: idk maryam talkin to karkat would b weird probs  
GA: Oh I See  
GA: You Refer To People By Their Surname  
GA: I Should Have Guessed By The Fact That You Referred To Rose As Lalonde  
GA: I Have Digressed  
GA: What Would Make Talking To Karkat Weird  
TG: cmon lalonde mustve told u want i called karkat b4 we met  
GA: If I Remember Correctly Karkat Was The True Identity Of Your Hot Bus Guy  
TG: ya  
TG: so u see why its weird  
GA: I Do Not  
TG: wow  
TG: you are very uh  
TG: to the point arent u  
GA: Yes I Am  
GA: I Do Not Like Fucking Around  
TG: fair  
TG: hey i have an idea  
TG: actually fuck this  
TG: im not gonna talk to u about my issue rn  
TG: if i wanted to do that id talk to rose  
GA: Then Do That I Know That You Have Not Spoken To Her In A While  
TG: ttyl maryam

turntechGodhead [TG] ceased being Pestered by grimAuxiliatrix [GA] at [21:33]

Dave closes this chat window and is a little irritated. He opens his blocklist and hovers over Karkat’s handle. He hesitates a second.

turntechGodhead [TG] has unblocked carcinoGeneticist [CG]!

\--

Dave never wears hats, but he doesn’t want anyone at this Starbucks to see the still healing cut on his forehead. It’s going away bit by bit but it’s still noticeable.

He’s watching the door, waiting to meet someone here. After he unblocked Karkat, he immediately got few messages from him hurling creative insult after creative insult. He swallowed his pride and asked Karkat to meet him here.

It takes a while for Karkat to show up. Okay, maybe Dave was nervous about seeing him while still having the cut on his forehead and maybe he was nervous enough to show up a solid 45 minutes before they were supposed to meet. Okay, you know what, maybe Dave is on his third americano and a little jittery.

When Karkat does eventually walk through the door, Dave straightens his back a bit. Karkat holds up a hand in acknowledgment and gets in line to order a drink.

The line takes a while and Dave uses that time to freak himself out a little bit. He hopes that Karkat isn’t too mad at him for blocking him out of the blue and ignoring him for three weeks. 

He’s still a little upset about everyone trying to help him, though. He’s handled Bro for almost 20 years, he’s fine. Dave finds himself thinking, People should stop worrying. Stop caring. Leave me alone, oh my God that’s what Karkat is going to tell him that he’s done trying and that he’s on his own that’s bad is that bad no it’s okay I think, Dave shut up here comes Karkat.

Karkat sits down across from Dave and looks kind of awkward from where Dave is sitting.

“So, uh,” Karkat starts, “I guess Terezi convinced you to talk to me?”

Dave opens his mouth to speak but falters a bit. “Actually, no. I mean, she did hit me up but I kind of blew her off.”

“Then what made you unblock me?”

“Oh, so turns out that my friend up at Columbia knows Kanaya and gave her my handle so she could threaten me or something I don’t know she’s pretty dense, but um… yeah,” Dave says.

“Kanaya?” Karkat is incredulous.

“Yeah.”

Karkat’s drink is done and his name is called. He gets up and gets it as quickly as possible to get back to this awkward silence.

After a few minutes, Dave turns to Karkat and says, “Let’s go.”

“Oh, shit, okay,” Karkat says. The two leave Starbucks and Dave brings Karkat to a beat up, old, red ‘76 Datsun truck. Dave unlocks it from the driver’s side and Karkat, approaching the passenger door, says, “When the fuck did you get a car?”

“Like two weeks ago maybe? I hate taking the bus, dude.” Dave gets in the truck and reaches over to unlock the passenger door for Karkat. He gets in the truck and the two sit there in silence.

Dave speaks first. “Karkat, I’m gonna be honest with you.”

Karkat turns to him expectantly.

Dave continues. “Shit’s okay.”

Karkat rolls his eyes and opens his mouth to talk. Dave cuts him off.

“No, no, listen to me. Everything is cool. Other people would say different. People like Rose, my friend at Columbia. Shit, Kanaya might even know if Rose told her. But I’m saying I’m cool, I’m good.”

“Why the fuck didn’t you show up for our presentation?” Karkat demands.

Dave sighs and rubs the bridge of his nose. He hesitates, but pulls the hat off of his head and takes the bandage off of his cut. He turns to Karkat so the other can get a decent look at the injury.

“Dave, what the fuck is this?” Karkat says. He grabs Dave’s head and tilts it toward him, inspecting it briefly before letting him go.

“So, funny story. The night before the presentation, Bro and I got in a fight. An argument. We never do that shit. But… He bashed my head against our kitchen counter.”

Karkat is flabbergasted. Truly astonished. His hands are out and he’s struggling to find words to properly convey how shocked he is. He finally turns to Dave and yells, “That’s not okay! You need to get the fuck out of there!”

“You’re not the first person who's told me that, I swear. It’s not gonna be easy to get out of this shit. I’ve been here for nineteen goddamn years, okay? My whole life. Getting out is not easy.” Dave says.

“Your whole life? Your whole fucking life? Look, you’re what, twenty? Twenty-one?”

“Karkat, I’m nineteen.”

Karkat is silent for a moment. “I can’t let you go home to that,” He says. “Terezi would kill me. No, she wouldn’t. She’d have Vriska do it so she knows it’s a job well-fuckin’-done.”

“Look, I’m telling you this because if you’re so insistent on being my friend, you might as well know what everyone else knows,” Dave says.

“They know about this and don’t say shit? What the fuck kind of shit friends do you have?” Karkat starts yelling.

“No, no, no, John and Jade don’t know I’m gettin’ my head bashed on counters or my arm broken down stairwells or whatever. Rose knows, and she found out a couple months ago.”

They don’t talk after that. A solid 20 minutes go by before Dave asks Karkat if he wants a ride home and Karkat accepts. Dave starts the car and pulls away from the Starbucks.

\--

turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering tentacleTherapist [TT] at [23:02]

TG: rose  
TG: rose where r u  
TG: r u in nyc or back home  
TG: im not keeping up  
TG: whats the haps  
TG: hows ur mom u remember hot mom lalonde whats goin on there  
TG: please answer  
TG: i need to talk to you  
TT: My apologies, Dave, I was on a video call with Kanaya, who I hear you recently became acquainted with.  
TT: To answer your initial question, I am back home as of today. The following question concerning my mother, however, I refuse to answer because you have ulterior motives concerning her.  
TG: nah i was just trying to get ur attention  
TT: What’s going on? You haven’t vied for my attention like this recently.  
TG: rose  
TG: bro was here when i got home  
TT: What does that mean, exactly.  
turntechGodhead [TG] shared an image!  
TT: Is that your fucking face?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Normally this would be up a whole 13 hours ago but I slept from 12:30 am to 12:30 pm today and have issues. Also, I know this is a shorter chapter than the other ones have been. There wasn't a lot I wanted to cover this time, but I made sure to include enough to further some plot.  
> For your listening pleasure: "Pray for Me" by The Weeknd and Kendrick Lamar  
> Follow me on tumblr to harass me about this story: forestknifefight.tumblr.com


	5. sunshine riptide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything is going to be okay, right? Dave get's a visitor. Vriska makes a harmless joke. Wait, that was pretty weird.

“I didn’t want you to fuckin’ tell them,” Dave says dryly. He’s sitting at the kitchen table at Karkat’s house, faced by him and the three other current inhabitants: Terezi, Vriska, and Kanaya.

“It is pretty naive of you to assume that he would not tell us, although I did know some of the unsavory details beforehand,” Kanaya says. She is sitting directly to Dave’s left. Next to her is Terezi, then is Vriska, then is Karkat, then back to Dave.

“Listen, Strider,” Vriska says, “Karkat only told us so that we’d convince you to move out of that piece of shit’s apartment, okay?”

“You think _you_ can get me to move out of here?” Dave says directly to Vriska.

“I can be convincing.”

Dave hums and says, “Don’t like that.”

“Point is,” Terezi half-shouts, “You cannot continue to stay there. We have perfectly… existing couchㅡit’s not a very comfortable couch, but it’s a fucking couch and you can sleep on it until Kanaya moves back to New York. Also, I would’ve found out about your situation regardless of whether or not Karkat told us.”

“No offense, TZ, but you can’t fuckin’ see shit and literally would not have known if you hadn’t been told,” Dave says.

“Po-tay-to, po-tah-to.”

Dave throws his hands in the air and turns to Kanaya with pleading eyes. Kanaya looks back at him and says, “Do not look at me, I cannot help you with that.”

Dave lets his hands drop and he looks around at all of these people who he guesses he can call friends and sighs. “Guys, I’m fine. Don’t worry about it.”

“Have you looked at your fucking face recently?” Karkat says.

Dave looks past Karkat to the mirror on the wall behind him and stares at his reflection. He isn’t wearing his shades because his left eye is still mostly swollen shut and surrounded in purples and greens and yellows. His right eyebrow is segmented by a long cut that has since scabbed over. His lip is busted and all over his face are small, healing bruises. Bro really did a number on him and Rose had every right to say, “Is that your fucking face?”

Dave looks back at Karkat and says, “I can’t just leave. There’s shit going on and I gotta stay.”

“What kind of shit are you referring to? It may be possible that we can help,” Kanaya says.

“No dice, Maryam. Thanks for the offer.” There’s silence for a bit until Dave speaks up again. “I gotta go, guys.”

“Stay here for the night, it’ll be fine, right?” Karkat says.

“Nah, I haven’t seen Bro yet today and if I don’t at all I’ll get served like a dude on butler island.” Dave stands from the table and slides his shades over his eyes.

The five exchange goodbyes, most of them outwardly worried while some are only mildly concerned. Kanaya decides to walk Dave to his car and once there, she waits.

“I presume that Rose told you about her impending visit?” She says.

“Yeah, last week she said she’s comin’ to see _you_ , but since I’ll be around, she guesses she’ll see me too,” Dave says with a laugh at the end.

“Would you mind coming with me to pick her up from the airport?”

“You just sayin’ that ‘cause I’m the only one with a car?”

“Yes.”

“Fair,” Dave gets into his car, “Sure. Hit me up with the details.”

\--

“Dave, when you said we’d be back on our bro chats I thought it would be over video call, not a lame phone call,” John says a few nights later. Dave has his phone face up on the kitchen counter and John is on speaker.

“Dude, I told you, the camera is broken, I’m savin’ to get a new one,” Dave says. He’s slowly assembling a sandwich for a late night snack. When he’s done, he picks up the sandwich and paper towel and his phone and quickly escapes to his room.

“How’s it going over there? You haven’t talked about whats-his-name in the group memos.”

“You talkin’ ‘bout Karkat?” Dave says, setting his phone on the desk and sitting in his chair.

“Yeah, that’s his name! When classes ended, did you keep in touch with him?”

“Yeah, dude, we’re pretty good friends I guess.” Dave inspects his sandwich for the perfect first bit and takes it.

“Really? You always made it sound like he hated you.”

“I thought he did.” Dave turns to his computer and checks for new messages; none. “And lemme tell you, nothin’ kills a boner like a guy you’re diggin’ constantly callin’ you a fuckin’ moron.”

“Dave, don’t tell me that you had a constant hard-on whenever you saw him.”

“John, I’m hard all the time. Hard as a fuckin’ rock. Hard as _The_ fuckin’ Rock, you know that fool is always hard.”

“Hey, Dave, I hate that.”

“That’s fair.” Dave takes another bite of his sandwich.

“Hold on, Dave...Okay...Okay! Jeez! Dave, I have to go. My dad wants me to unpack my stuff.”

“If you unpack now, you only have to repack it all in August.”

“That’s what I’m sayin’!” Dave can almost hear John throwing his arms in the air. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“Later, Eg-dick.” Dave hangs up the phone.

There is a solid two minutes where nothing happens. Dave’s computer doesn’t chime with any messages. No music is playing. He doesn’t take a bit of his sandwich. Two pure minutes of pure nothingness.

Whatever trance Dave is in is immediately broken when his door opens and Bro is standing there. Dave turns to him. “Roof?”

“Who were you talking to?” Bro asks instead.

“Uh, John.”

Bro hums.

“Do you want me on the roof?” Dave asks again.

“No.” Bro walks away, leaving the door open. Dave gets up and slowly moves to close it.

When he’s back to his desk, Dave breathes a sigh of relief. He picks up his sandwich with shaky hands and slowly finishes it.

\--

Rose’s flight lands at 3:17 am, June 27th. She’s staying for 10 days, through the Fourth of July. Dave picks up Kanaya at her house at about 2:30 in the morning and she brings him a fresh coffee.

At the airport, Kanaya tells Dave she’s going to get as close to the gate as security will let her, to meet Rose. Dave sits, waiting with Flo Rida’s latest album playing quietly.

turntechGodhead [TG] RIGHT NOW opened memo on board I WANT TO SEE MY LITTLE ROOOOOOSE

TG: here she comes?  
grimAuxiliatrix [GA] sent an image!  
GA: Here She Comes  
TG: here she cooooooooooooooomes  
TT: I’m going to lose my mind. Ten whole days of this?  
TT: Dave, did you just take a picture of me?  
turntechGodhead [TG] sent an image!  
TG: here she cooooooooooooomes

When Rose opens the passenger door, Dave turns the volume up and begins to sing along to “My House” by Flo Rida.

“Oh, my god,” Rose says, sliding into the cab of the truck. Kanaya, after securing Rose’s luggage in the truck bed, slides in after her. Rose turns down the radio and says, “This is how you greet me the first time we meet in person?”

“Did you expect any different?” Dave asks.

“You’re so right.”

Dave smiles, genuinely, for the first time in a while. “Good to see you, Lalonde.”

\--

“So, has Bro already seen you today?” Rose asks. It’s 5 in the morning and they’re sitting in the living room at Karkat’s house, where Rose will be staying.

“Yeah, he saw me when I left to come get Kanaya,” Dave says taking a sip of his third coffee that night.

“Did he ask where you were going?”

“Yeah.”

“What did you say?”

“That I was takin’ a friend to the airport to pick up another friend. No names.” He takes another sip.

Rose absently reaches up and tugs at her earlobe gently. “How’s it going over there?”

Dave snorts and shrugs. “I mean, it’s fine.” He gestures to his face. “You see what’s goin’ on here.”

“It looks better,” Rose says, trying to lighten the mood.

“Yeah, but I still look like a Van Gogh painting.”

The two go back and forth, joking for a few hours until they’re interrupted by someone entering the living room.

Vriska is standing at the runner table behind the couch and digging through her purse. She looks up at the two, first eyeing Dave’s face for progress then turning her gaze to Rose. “You’re Kanaya’s New York girlfriend?”

“As opposed to her Texas girlfriend? Is that you?” Rose asks.

“No, it’s Dave,” Vriska jokes. She picks up her purse and says goodbye to them before leaving the house to go to work.

When she’s gone, Rose turns to Dave with mock offense. “Really? Six years of friendship and you’re stealing my girlfriend?”

“You know it,” Dave says, following it by puckering his lips at Rose.

She laughs and turns her attention to the front door. “You know, Kanaya told me about her eye, I just didn’t think it would be like _that_.”

Dave leans in, grabbing Rose’s knee. “You know what’s up with her fuckin’ eye? You have to tell me.”

“You don’t know?”

“I’ve brought it up to Karkat ten times and he won’t tell me.”

Rose sighs and checks down the hallway to make sure that no one is coming down. She looks back at Dave. “It’s glass. The left one.”

Dave gasps dramatically. “This bitch has a glass eye?”

“Yes.”

“How?”

“That, I don’t know. Kanaya told me it was an accident when they were in high school, but that’s the extent of my knowledge.”

Before they can continue their conversation, Karkat stumbles down the hallway, still have asleep and grumbling something about breakfast. Dave and Rose go along with whatever they heard him say and follow him into the kitchen.

\--

On the Fourth of July, Dave finds himself at his friends’ house again. It’s just the six of them seated around the fire pit in the backyard drinking. Rose and Kanaya are sitting together on one with a blanket wrapped around their shoulders. Terezi and Vriska are in a similar position and a second bench. Dave, sitting alone, is surprised when Karkat sits with him, draping a blanket over their laps.

Dave laughs a bit, turning to Karkat to say, “Damn, Vantas, puttin’ the blanket over our legs. I see you.”

“What are you talking about?” Karkat snaps.

“You tryin’ to touch my dick?” Dave says, earning a laugh from Terezi and Rose.

“I’ll move and take the blanket with me, asshole, you want that? No, didn’t think so. Fuck with me, Strider.” This earns a laugh from all of the girls.

“Come on, Karkat, you’ll never get Strider to be your boyfriend if you treat him like that,” Vriska says. Everyone stops, most processing whether or not that was a joke.

Dave is quick, though. He laughs it off and says, “Nah, Vriska, Karkat doesn’t want to date me. I’m high maintenance. You know how long it takes me to put on my makeup?”

“Cool Kid, do you wear makeup?” Terezi asks.

“Nah, TZ, I was jokin’. I can’t afford makeup.”

“Excuse me, Kanaya,” Rose says as she stands. “Dave, will you help me get more drinks?”

“Uh, sure,” he says. Dave throws the blanket onto Karkat’s legs and stands.

The two go into the kitchen in the house and Rose turns to Dave. “Everything okay?”

Dave takes a small step back. “What does that mean?”

“With Bro?”

“Oh… Yeah, that’s fine. I have to go home tonight though. Can’t stay.”

“Let me come with you.”

Dave laughs. Genuinely laughs. He laughs so hard that he has to hold onto the chair at the kitchen table for support. He laughs for about five minutes before he starts to settle down. He stands up straight, wipes a tear out from under his eye looks at Rose.

“You’re joking right?”

“I’m not,” Rose says.

Dave’s face changes. He’s more serious now.

“No. Hell no. You are not staying with me at _my house,_ Rose,” Dave is trying not to raise his voice too much so he doesn’t draw any attention from outside.

“If I’m there, he won’t hurt you,” Rose explains.

“You don’t know that. I don’t even fucking know that. What if because you’re there, he does something to you, too?”

“We won’t know if I don’t come over. For the next few days until I leave on the 7th.”

Dave starts pacing the kitchen. “This is a bad fucking idea.”

“I won’t take ‘no,’ for an answer.”

“I don’t like this.”

“It’ll be fine!”

“Rose.”

“Dave.”

The glass door opens and Kanaya is there. “Is everything okay? You two seem to be quite excited in here.”

“No, everything is fine, thank you, Kanaya,” Rose says, smiling.

Kanaya’s eyes flick from her to Dave’s now calm face and back to Rose. “Okay. Please, hurry. Some people around have begun lighting their fireworks.”

“Sure thing, Maryam,” Dave says this time. He quickly digs into the fridge while Kanaya slowly closes the door and turns back to the bonfire. He hands Rose three drinks and holds three in his hands. He leans into her and says, “Fine. But know that I’m really against this.”

“I know,” Rose says. She returns to the bonfire, leaving Dave alone in the kitchen for a few seconds.

\--

It’s 3:30 in the morning on July 5th when Dave and Rose get to his apartment. When they left, everyone else was very against it, but Rose insisted that this was something she needed to do.

The apartment is dark when they get there. Bro is nowhere to be seen. Dave flicks on the light and takes Rose’s luggage to his room. She wanders around the apartment’s living space, seemingly taking note of things she thinks are dangerous.

Dave comes back out to the living space gingerly sits on the couch, still scoping out the room. Rose sits next to him and after a few seconds of awkward nothingness, the two divulge into an expansive conversation about the “Just Do It” meme.

Shortly into their conversation, the front door to the apartment opens and Dave sucks in a breath. Rose turns around and Bro is standing there. He glances at Rose briefly before looking back at Dave. “Who’s she?” He says.

“Um, Rose... Lalonde. An online friend, she’s staying for a couple days,” Dave says carefully. He sees something in Bro’s face change, something he can’t quite place.

“Fine,” Bro says after a few seconds. He crosses the living space and disappears into the bathroom.

Dave lets out a breath and stands, tugging Rose’s arm so that she follows him into his room. He quickly shuts the door behind her as she sits on his bed.

“Is he usually like that?” Rose asks.

Dave lowers himself into his desk chair. “Quiet and menacing?”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah. But somethin’ about that... was weird.”

“How do you mean?”

“I have no idea.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry the chapter is up later in the day, it be like that sometimes. So, to keep up with canon, this story so far has taken place in 2014/2015 and I don't remember any pop culture references from then so I have to google them.  
> For your listening pleasure, "Sunshine Riptide" by Fall Out Boy. Also, about that so, the titles are not going to be songs from the year this takes place, just songs I think encompass the themes of the chapter.  
> Next week! The chapter is going to go up on Monday, July 9th, rather than Sunday, July 8th because I'm going to be at Anime Expo next weekend and will not have time to have it up on Sunday.  
> Follow me on tumblr! forestknifefight.tumblr.com


	6. dominoes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lot happens in the span of a few hours. Rose goes home. Vriska is an alright friend, we guess. Dave and Karkat spend some time together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dave gets hurt here, fair warning.

tuntechGodhead [TG] began pestering tentacleTherapist [TT] at [21:08]

TG: hey rosie  
TG: hey  
TG: hey hey hey  
TG: hey rose  
TG: i miss u  
TT: I am not even on the plane yet, and yet you miss me. You realize that I am in a very fulfilling relationship, correct?  
TG: nah im not tryna steal kanayas girl  
TG: but ya  
TG: it was great havin u here  
TG: still sorry abt bro  
TT: Good, we can talk about that. That was very weird. He was so distant. And you say he isn’t usually like that?  
TG: no hes super like  
TG: helicopter mom  
TG: but my brother  
TG: real nosy  
TT: Strange. You know, out of those three nights I stayed with you, he did not say one word to me.  
TG: seriously lalonde im sorry that was supes awkward  
TT: That’s alright. I’m relieved that he did not feel the need to talk to me, actually.  
TT: I’m boarding, I’ll message you when I get home and we’ll pick up the conversation.  
TG: cool beans

turntechGodhead [TG] ceased pestering tentacleTherapist [TT] at [21:20]

Dave tosses his phone onto the couch next to him and turns to face Karkat. “I said the words, ‘cool beans,’ to Rose, who am I?”

Karkat chuckles a bit. “Human scum. Only human scum says, ‘cool beans’.”

Dave feigns offense as the front door opens. Kanaya walks into the living room, dropping Dave’s car keys onto the runner table behind the couch. She collapses on the couch next to Dave and sighs.

“Miss your girlfriend?” Dave teases.

“Yes,” Kanaya says. She perks up after a few seconds and turns, pulling her leg onto the couch to fully face Dave. “How was it hosting her at your home?”

“Your brother didn’t do anything to her?” Karkat adds.

“No.” Dave straightens up. “He kind of… ignored her. He was real weird about it. Like, okay, normally, he leaves for a few hours, maybe a day or two, and comes back to kick my ass, right?”

“Right, and that’s fucked up and he sucks,” Karkat says.

“Of course,” Dave says, “Anyway, he saw her the night we showed up, awkwardly acknowledged her, then never spoke a word to her for three days.”

Karkat and Kanaya exchange a look before Kanaya speaks. “I hope he is not under the impression that you and Rose are sleeping together.”

“Shit, dawg, me too.” 

\--

When Dave gets back to his apartment, Bro is home. He’s standing in the kitchen, leaning over the sink. Dave carefully approaches him.

“Hey,” Dave says.

“Why did you bring her here?” Bro says. He’s quiet, which is ten times more terrifying than when he’s not.

“Who? You mean Rose?” Dave asks. “I don’t know, dude, she wanted to stay here for a few days while she was visiting, I can’t control her.”

Bro straightens his back a bit and turns to look at Dave. He’s not wearing his shades which Dave notes as “shit-my-pants-terrifying.” Bro takes a few steps forward and says, “You can’t bring anyone here.”

“Bro, she’s one friend. One of four of the only friends that I’ve had for years. She’s the first person I’ve ever brought within a half-mile of our building.”

Bro takes a few more steps. “Then let this be a new rule. You can’t bring anyone here.”

“Why the hell not?”

“Look, I know you didn’t get into college but you can’t be that fucking stupid,” Bro says.

Dave scoffs and looks away from Bro. “You’re finally admitting that you know the shit you do to me is fucked up, huh?”

“Excuse me?” Bro has what normal families would refer to as “the mom voice.”

“You know what I mean. You pulled me onto the roof to kick my ass almost every single day of my life when I was growing up. Now, you don’t hold back. You fucked me up so badly that someone saw me afterward and said, ‘Is that your fucking face.’ And now you don’t want me to bring people here so they a, don’t see the shithole we live in and b, don’t see that you beat the shit out of me.”

Bro, now close enough to Dave, reaches out and grabs him by the hair close to his neck. He pulls Dave’s face close to his face and says, “I gave up a whole lotta shit for you. You know that? Have some fucking respect for the effort I put into making sure you had this apartment and knew how to defend yourself.”

“You call what you did to me ‘teaching me how to defend myself?’ You know other people call that abuse. What would Mom think if she saw the way you treat me?”

Dave sees something change in Bro’s face when he says that. His hand twitches in Dave’s hair and within seconds, Dave’s face is colliding with the kitchen corner. Bro pulls back and slams Dave’s face in the counter again. Instead of a third slam, Bro pulls back his fist and throws it forward, colliding with Dave’s forehead right above his eye.

Dave’s shades shatter and the room goes black.

\--

Pain ー arm can’t move ー head throbbing ー face is uncomfortable ー gotta get to the computer ー crawling hurts ー fuck that’s a sword ー shit is that blood ー this is the worst.

Gotta stand ー twist doorknob ー hand too slippery, try again ー success ー computer ー too many cords ー desk chair ー oh my god this hurts ー fuck finally.

Who to call ー got it ー still can’t move that arm ー gotta do this one-handed ー call ー explain ー really bad ー darkness.

\--

Dave wakes up in his bed. His eyes are closed and he’s on his back. When he tries to roll over to his side to catch a bit more sleep, things connected to his arm tug him. He opens his eyes and is met with bright lights. He carefully peeks at his arm and sees the IV. IV? What the fuck?

Dave lets his eyes adjust to the room around him and he realizes that only one is open enough to see anything. He looks around the hospital room as panic starts to set in. How did he get here? He notices someone sitting next to him and turns to see Vriska, slouching in the chair and scrolling through her phone.

“Serket?” Dave barely manages to get out.

Vriska looks up from her phone and locks it, setting it aside. She straightens her posture and leans forward. She purposefully sat next to his good eye so she knew he could see her. “Hey, Strider. You scared the shit out of us.”

“I did?”

Vriska nods.

“How?”

“Well,” Vriska sighs, “last night at like three in the morning, Karkat almost broke our bedroom door down, asking me to get up and get my shit we have to go somewhere, blah blah blah, I told him to fuck off. But he told us that you had called him and your face was just fucked up and showed me a picture he took of you. I tried to explain it to Terezi, but I’m gonna be honest with you that shit was fucked up. So, the four of us, we ended up waking up Kanaya, get in my car and we drive to the address you shared with Karkat and he runs up. An ambulance showed up a few minutes later. I drove Terezi and Kanaya here. We’ve been taking turns watching you.”

Dave takes a while to process the story that Vriska just told and goddamn she talks a lot. He tries to think of something to say to that but can’t. There’s so much fear in his stomach, knowing that they brought him to a hospital. He finally calms down enough to think of something. He turns his head to Vriska and says, “Can I ask you somethin’?”

“Sure.”

“The fuck happened to your eye?”

Vriska laughs. “When we were maybe thirteen or fourteen, Terezi and I took a joyride on my mom’s old Kawasaki and I fucked it up and, um,” She pauses briefly, almost thinking, “My eye was so irreparably damaged that they had to take it out. The nerves in my arm are just shot to shit. I’ve been doing PT for years just to be able to do this.” Vriska lifts her left arm a few inches. Dave watches as her arm shakes intensely before dropping back down to her lap.

“What happened to Terezi?” Dave asks.

“The back of her head in the asphalt so hard that it damaged her eyesight. Now she can’t see. Why are you asking about this?”

“Been thinkin’ about it since I met you.”

The door to the room opens and a doctor comes in. She looks at Dave and smiles, “Good. You’re awake.” She turns to Vriska and says, “Will you give us the room, please?”

Vriska tells the doctor she will and gathers her personal things and leaves. The doctor approaches the IV bag to make sure it’s satisfactory and then crosses the room again. She sits in the chair Vriska as in and smiles at Dave. “Hi, I’m Doctor Luna. Let’s talk about your injuries.”

“Aight, Doc, go for it,” Dave says.

Doctor Luna looks down at the iPad in her arms and sighs. “You came in with a broken orbital socket, a broken ankle, and foot, your arm was broken in three places and your hand was broken. The hand that wasn’t broken has a large cut across the palm.”

Dave nods along as the doctor lists the injuries he has.

“Now, I am a mandated reporter.”

“What does that mean?” Dave asks quickly.

“It means that if I treat a patient for injuries that look like the result of abuse of any kind, I am legally required to report it to the police. I was waiting to do so until you woke up, but I have to before you are discharged.”

Dave lets out a shaky breath and looks away from the doctor. She explains a few more things that he only half listened to before she leaves and Dave is alone.

\--

The police were nice enough. Asked him questions that Dave, for the most part, answered. He didn’t tell them anything about Bro and he didn’t know why.

After the police left, Karkat sat in the room with Dave. They didn’t talk for a few minutes, just sat there, not exactly enjoying each other’s company but also not completely awkward around each other.

“I wish you hadn’t called an ambulance,” Dave says finally.

“I couldn’t not do anything,” Karkat says.

“I know.” Dave lets the conversation fall back into silence for a minute. “Did you bring my phone?”

“Yeah,” Karkat says. He pulls Dave’s phone out of his pocket and holds it out to him.

“Can you open it?”

Karkat taps the screen on Dave’s phone a few times. “What’s the password?”

“120395,” Dave says.

“That’s a random number.”

“Not really, it’s my birthday.”

Karkat laughs. “The password on my phone is my birthday.”

Dave smiles and says, teasingly, “What’s the password for your phone, Karks?”

“It’ uh, 070894.”

Dave’s smile slowly fades away as he realizes that today, the day that Karkat is spending at his side in the hospital when he definitely does not need to, is July eighth. Karkat’s twenty-first birthday.

Dave opens his mouth to speak but before he can, Karkat says, “Why did you want me to open your phone?”

“Oh, right, uh, open the music app.”

Karkat does.

“Go to artists.”

Karkat does.

“Clipping.”

Karkat scrolls a bit and finds clipping., tapping it.

“Find the album called CLPPNG, C-L-P-P-N-G.”

Karkat does.

“Okay, cool, play the first song, please?”

Karkat taps the first song, Intro, and sets Dave’s phone next to him. Dave thanks him as the song plays. Karkat elects to not try to have a conversation with Dave while the music plays. He scrolls through various social media, every once in a while watching Dave stare at nothing, listening to music.

After a few songs, when Summertime is playing, Dave slowly reaches for his phone and lowers the volume. He turns to Karkat. “Sorry, you’re spending your birthday here and not with your parents or somethin’.”

“It’s okay. They’re not in town,” Karkat says. He offers Dave a small smile.

“Where are they?”

“Africa.”

Dave laughs awkwardly for a second. “Why the fuck are they in Africa?”

Karkat laughs. “They’re missionaries,” he says.

“Jesus Christ, dude.”

“That is the priority.”

"Yeah, I guess so." Dave doesn't say anything for a minute. "Karkat, can you give me a little bit of time alone?"

Karkat stands from the chair. "Sure, no problem."

"Thanks."

Karkat leaves the room, shutting the door behind him. Dave stares at the ceiling, slowly increasing the volume of the music on his phone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For your listening enjoyment: "Dominoes" by clipping.. This song is actually on the album that's mentioned at the end of the chapter CLPPNG. Check it out, the whole thing is pretty cool.  
> Thank you guys for indulging me with posting the chapter a day behind. Anime Expo was fun and listen, kids, there were some pretty good Homestuck cosplays which were appreciated. Namely, the gorgeous Condesce and Mindfang holy moley. Also a fun Karkat cosplay and they had little plush grubs all over themselves it was great if any of you went please tell me cosplays you liked.  
> Next chapter will go up on Sunday, July 15th, as normal.  
> Follow me on tumblr: forestknifefight.tumblr.com


	7. lost boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dave's bones are healing well. They plan for some birthdays. Dave doesn't do pity.

Dave stayed in the hospital for three days while parts of his mostly broken body set in place for the healing process. On each of those three days, police officers asked Dave some of the same questions: What happened? Who attacked you? Do you know who attacked you personally? Do you want to press charges?

Dave’s answers were not what Karkat or Rose or anyone would have wanted him to say. He claimed that everything was a misunderstanding; there was a bad fall at his apartment building and yeah, this looks bad but you should see the stairs, ha ha. The police were hesitant to accept these answers but eventually let it go and Dave was discharged from the hospital.

Within a few weeks, Kanaya had to pack to leave for New York for the fall semester. While she was finishing her packing, Dave found himself at their house most days. Not that he could drive, really. Karkat was given charge of Dave’s truck and had taken the time to drive Dave back and forth from the apartment to the house.

“I don’t want you to go home and get hurt,” Karkat had repeatedly said.

“If I don’t go home now when I finally do, I will get hurt,” Dave had countered.

This was a daily conversation, even today when it’s not even noon, but Dave needs to go home.

“I don’t want you to be there,” Karkat says, as usual.

“I need to be there at some point,” Dave responds, as usual.

Karkat stands from his spot next to Dave on the couch and turns, helping Dave to his foot and propping him up with a crutch. He moves around the couch to grab the truck keys and in the process knocks a small travel bag to its side on the floor.

“Ooooohhhhhhh! Kanaya! Karkat knocked over your thing!” Dave yells.

Karkat glares at Dave as Kanaya comes out of her bedroom and down the hall. She carefully leans down and stands the bag back up. When she’s standing again, she places a gentle yet menacing hand on Karkat’s shoulder.

“I will kill you if you knock over my belongings again,” She says calmly.

“I believe you,” Karkat says. He quickly turns to Dave and beckons for him to follow him out the front door.

Dave and Karkat slowly make their way to the truck and Karkat helps him into the passenger’s seat.

It’s silent as Karkat drives. Dave can sense that Karkat is mildly upset that he has to drive him back to this hell hole that he calls his house.

“What kind of music you like?” Dave asks to break the silence.

“Uh, I don’t know,” Karkat says.

“I’m gonna play something I think you’ll like,” Dave says, scrolling through his phone. Once it seems like he’s satisfied with the music choice, Dave digs through the glove box to produce a small portable speaker that he plugs into his phone. After fiddling with the electronics for a few seconds, Set It Off’s _Why Worry_ begins to play. Dave watches Karkat’s face as the song plays, looking for a reaction.

Karkat glances at Dave quickly. “What?”

“You strike me as a guy that likes Set It Off,” Dave says.

“Okay. I’m not gonna say I don’t.”

“You like Set It Off?”

“Yeah.”

“Aw,” Dave coos, reaching with his good hand to tickle under Karkat’s chin, “How sweet.”

Karkat swats at Dave’s hand, muttering a “Don’t touch me.” The two share a short laugh until the car fades into nothing but the music.

When the truck rolls to a stop in front of Dave’s apartment building, Dave shuts off the music and stores the speaker in the glove box. He makes slow work of unbuckling while Karkat gets out of the truck and runs around it to be able to help him out.

“Do you need me to walk you upstairs?” Karkat asks.

“No, I’ll be good,” Dave says.

“Strider, let me help you.”

“Nah, nah, I got it! You do enough. I got this.”

Karkat sighs. “Okay.”

“See ya later,” Dave says. He begins to slowly walk toward the building and soon disappears inside, leaving Karkat on the sidewalk.

\--

It’s close to midnight when the front door to the apartment opens and shuts violently. Dave’s whole body seizes up in fear for a few moments, hoping Bro won’t call for him to come out of his room. Fate is a cruel mistress when he hears Bro call for him saying, “Get out here.”

Dave struggles to sit up from his reclined position in his bed and reaches for his crutch to help him stand up fully. Well, as much as he can. He slowly makes his way to the door of his room, opening it and moving just lightly to stand in the doorway.

Bro is on the couch, flicking through folded papers with too much writing on them. He finally turns to look at Dave. He holds up the papers and says, “You’re not worth this much money.”

“What the fuck does that mean?” Dave says.

“Your hospital bill is more than I pay for us to live here for a year.”

“It’s not like you can’t afford it.” Dave adjusts the crutch under his arm to a slightly more comfortable position.

“I know I can afford it. If I had it my way, I wouldn’t be. The only fuckin’ reason I am is because you decided to tell whoever the fuck you told about what happened like a fuckin’ idiot.”

Dave rolls his eyes. “Whatever, dude, do you need me on the roof or not?”

Bro is quiet for a couple seconds. “I should just make you pay it. Why am I paying out the ass for your stupidity?”

“I don’t have a job anymore. The store won’t keep me on because I keep getting hurt.”

“Can they fuckin’ do that?”

“I was gettin’ hurt in ways that impacted my ability to work. They weren’t schedulin’ me. They asked me to voluntarily leave to make it more convenient for me and the store.”

Bro sighs and rubs his eyes under his shades. “Fine. I’ll pay your stupid fuckin’ hospital bill.” Bro turns to Dave and points a finger at him. “Don’t pull this shit again.”

“Fuck, whatever. Can I go?”

Bro turns back to the stack of mail in front of him and waves him away with a hand.

Dave slowly, but still with urgency, goes back into his bedroom, this time hobbling his way to his desk. He drops into the chair and wakes up the computer.

turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering carcinoGeneticist [CG] at [12:14]

\--

gardenGnostic [GG] RIGHT NOW opened memo on board OUR BIRTHDAYS ARE COMING UP MINUS JOHN SORRY JOHN

GG: sorry your birthday is in april john!!  
EB: it’s okay! that just means i don’t have to share the week with any losers.  
EB: dave and rose are the losers, btw.  
EB: you’re a good egg, jade.  
GG: thank you john!!  
TG: really egbert  
TG: youre gonna insult me like that  
TG: in my good christian suburb  
TT: John, I’m truly offended. I thought we had become so close over the last, what? Near ten years? Almost a decade of friendship, John, and you wound me like this?  
TG: rose can you believe the disrespect  
TT: You know, Dave, it was so sad when we lost John early in the chat. His beautiful life cut short by the blade of He-Who-Disrespects-His-Friends.  
EB: stop telling everyone i’m dead!  
TG: sometimes i can still hear his voice  
GG: while i love you guys and your stupid memes  
GG: if you would look at the title of the memo!  
GG: and see that mine, roses, and daves birthdays are coming up!  
GG: we can get down to business  
TG: harley our birthdays are in december  
TG: its august  
EB: yeah, my birthday is closer than your guys’s  
TT: Actually, John, we are about equidistant from both your birthday and our birthdays.  
TT: No one’s birthday is closer.  
GG: either way!!!!  
GG: i want to have something planned so that we can all see each other!  
GG: weve never seen each other on our birthdays and i think it would be fun!  
TG: i am not leaving tx  
TG: cant afford it  
EB: you don’t want to see the ladies in new york?  
EB: it would be easier for everyone, i mean  
EB: rose and jade don’t have to fly anywhere  
EB: it would only be you and me  
TT: Actually, I would like to find myself in Texas around my birthday.  
TG: u just want to hassle serket about her eye  
GG: wait! that’s right! dave and rose have new friends in houston!  
GG: i want to meet them!  
EB: really?  
TG: really  
TG: jinx egbert u owe me a kiss  
EB: i’ll pass  
TT: Jade, you would like to meet Kanaya, Vriska, Terezi, and Karkat?  
GG: yeah! any friends of you guys are friends of mine!  
GG: unless theyre mean  
GG: are any of them mean???  
TG: yes  
TT: No.  
TT: Who do you think is mean?  
TG: karkat  
EB: yeah, isn’t he the guy that was a dick to you for the whole spring semester?  
TG: ya  
GG: well i want to meet them and judge them for myself!  
GG: how does everyone feel about that???  
GG: we all fly down to houston for our birthdays (minus john sorry!!!) and meet rose and daves friends!!!  
TT: I am down for that. I can also convince Kanaya to come with me.  
GG: right! you met her there in nyc! how weird!!  
GG: dave??? john????? what do you guys think?????  
TG: are you guys staying in a hotel or smth  
TG: whats goin on there  
TT: Hello All My Name Is Kanaya I Am Using Roses Account To Message You All And Tell You That You Are More Than Welcome To Stay At My House That I Share With Karkat Vriska And Terezi  
TT: We Will Make The Appropriate Accommodations  
TG: shit maryam comin in clutch with the housing arrangements  
TG: im cool  
GG: john?????  
EB: sigh  
EB: i guess that’s fine  
EB: i’ll talk to my dad  
GG: alright! were all set! well hammer out the details later???  
TT: Sounds good. I’m looking forward to seeing you all.  
TG: yeah same  
EB: yeah  
GG: bye guys!!!

gardenGnostic [GG] RIGHT NOW closed memo on board OUR BIRTHDAYS ARE COMING UP MINUS JOHN SORRY JOHN

tentacleTherapist [TT] began pestering turntechGodhead [TG] at [20:17]

TT: So, what’s the plan for if John or Jade ask to see your apartment?  
TG: the answer is no  
TG: no no no no no  
TG: they cant come to my apartment  
TT: How do you plan on telling them that the answer is no?  
TG: idk rose  
TG: ill figure it out  
TG: got four months to figure that shit out

\-- 

A few weeks brings Terezi’s 21st birthday and with that brings the party and the rest of their friends. Dave doesn’t know them well enough yet to be excited at the thought of seeing anyone and were it a few weeks earlier, he downright wouldn’t go. He’s lucky that his casts got removed about a week and a half before the party. 

Speaking of the party, Dave is bored. It’s the same at every party but this time, he’s not exactly trying to drink any problems away. Mostly because he has to go home later and can’t drive drunk. 

After about an hour and an incident where the one nervous guy looked like he was going to approach Dave but ultimately didn’t, Dave decided to hide. He pushes himself from the armchair in the living room and makes it seem like he is wandering down the hallway. Once far enough, he dips into Karkat’s bedroom, the easiest place to hide and not get caught. 

Dave lets the door click shut and the music dull before taking a look around the room. He’s been in here before and thinks it’s hilarious. The walls are a dark maroon and Karkat has the posters for Hitch and 50 First Dates on the walls. When Dave learned that Karkat was actually into romantic comedies and Will Smith of all people, he laughed. He understood Will Smith but really? Adam Sandler? 

“It’s the movie I like, not the actor, you dickhead,” Karkat had said. 

“Yeah, okay, but still. It’s a Sandler movie,” Dave said back. 

The door behind Dave pushes into his back and he hears Karkat’s distinct voice say, “What the actual fuck?” 

Dave mutters an “Oh shit,” and moves so that Karkat can actually get into his room. Karkat comes through the door and gives Dave a dirty look. 

“Why are you in here?” Karkat asks. 

“Hidin’,” Dave says. 

Karkat sighs and shuts the door behind him. “I don’t blame you.” He crosses his room to his desk and drops himself into the chair. He looks up at Dave and says, “How’s everything with your brother?” 

“Oh, uh,” Dave looks around the room briefly before looking back at Karkat. “It’s okay, I guess. Since I got the casts off, he’s been havin’ me meet him on the roof but he goes pretty easy on me.” 

“Having you go to the roof period is the definition of ‘Not Going Easy On You’,” Karkat says. 

“Yeah, well, he’s not breakin’ my bones.” 

“That should not be an accomplishment to you.” 

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” 

They’re both quiet for a few moments until Karkat speaks again. “Where are your parents?” 

“No clue. I mean I guess the logical conclusion is that they’re dead, but really I don’t know. It’s always been me and Bro,” Dave says. 

“Do you ever ask your brother about them?” 

“Last time I brought up our mom, he put me in the hospital.” 

“Oh.” 

It’s quiet again. 

Karkat stands up to be somewhat on Dave’s level. “You can’t stay there.” 

“You ain’t the only one that tells me that,” Dave says with a small laugh. 

“I fucking mean it. You can stay here, if you really need to,” Karkat says, taking a step or two closer to Dave. 

“No, I know, but I’m kind of… Stuck there.” 

“That’s bullshit,” Karkat says, with another step. 

“Yeah, well, that’s how shit goes for me.” 

“You’re an idiot.” 

Before Dave can confirm Karkat’s insult, something happens. Karkat is kissing Dave. And within seconds, Dave is kissing him back. 

It’s warm, Dave thinks. Warm, but not soft. Karkat needs to invest in a good chapstick. Not that Dave is probably any better, he’s likely just as warm and just as chapped. Karkat’s hands settle on Dave’s waist and hey, that’s not what Dave is used to. Usually, he’s the one doing that. But this is fine. 

Right? This is fine. It’s gotta be. This is a normal, average kiss that happens after a few months of insulting each other friendly-like and someone lands in the hospital and is generally in a bad situationーwait. No, that’s not right. This isn’t right. 

Dave pulls away from Karkat and the latter of the two is really confused. 

“What?” Karkat asks. 

“I can’t do this if it’s comin’ from a place of pity. I mean, normally, we’d be cool, fine, super great, but like.” Dave sighs. 

“This isn’tー” 

“I can’t, Karkat." 

“IーOkay." 

“I have to go,” Dave says. He separates himself from Karkat and quickly, but calmly, leaves Karkat’s room. 

When Dave gets to the living room, he quickly locates his keys on the runner table behind the couch and scans the room for Terezi. When he finds her, he gets her attention for a quick side-hug and “happy birthday” before he leaves the house and drives home. 

\-- 

When Dave gets back to his apartment, there’s a note on the counter that says, “Roof. Now.” He sighs and goes to his room to get a sword. He pauses to take a deep breath. 

He goes to the roof. He deserves to. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For your listening pleasure: "LOST BOY" by Troye Sivan
> 
> I'm gonna be honest, when picking the song for this chapter I was gonna pick something by Haley Kiyoko since I don't usually listen to Troye Sivan, but decided to pick one of his songs since this is an MLM centric story.
> 
> Special thanks to user dustykashmir for sending me a guide to make the pesterlogs look like real pesterlogs.
> 
> Follow me on tumblr: forestknifefight.tumblr.com or on twitter: @BarelyCorporeal


	8. love lies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dave and Karkat have a semi-serious conversation. Vriska gives some pretty good advice, we guess. Dave is back on his bullshit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's an update about the future of this story at the end notes, be sure to hit that up.

carcinoGeneticist [CG] began trolling turntechGodhead [TG] at [23:01]

CG: LISTEN, DAVE. I KNOW THIS PROBABLY ISN'T WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR BUT I WAS CONVINCED BY YOUR FUCKING SISTER AND HER GIRLFRIEND THAT SHOULD MAKE AN ATTEMPT TO COMMUNICATE WITH YOU ABOUT THIS BECAUSE THAT IS THE "FOUNDATION OF A SUCCESSFUL RELATIONSHIP."  
CG: EVEN THOUGH THERE’S NO RELATIONSHIP TO BUILD A FOUNDATION FOR.  
TG: what are you talkin about  
CG: I'M TALKING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED FEW DAYS AGO.  
TG: ?  
CG: AT TEREZI'S BIRTHDAY PARTY.  
TG: ??  
CG: IN MY ROOM, COME ON I KNOW YOU'RE NOT A FUCKING IDIOT YOU KNOW WHAT TALKING ABOUT.  
TG: okay sure  
TG: i know what ur talkin about  
TG: why are you bringin it up?  
TG: i think and this is a novel idea here  
TG: truly genius  
TG: we should forget that it happened  
TG: and be friends again  
TG: sound good?  
CG: THAT, WOW OKAY THAT WAS SOMETHING YOU JUST SAID, DEFINITELY. YOU WANT TO FORGET AFTER TELLING ME THAT YOU WOULD BE OKAY WITH... WHAT HAPPENED IF IT HAD HAPPENED UNDER, UH, DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES YOU WOULD'VE BEEN OKAY WITH IT BUT BECAUSE YOU DON'T THINK IT FELT "GENUINE," YOU DON'T WANT TO DO THIS AND YOU KNOW WHAT? I DO. I DO WANT TO DO THIS AND I NEED TO TELL YOU THAT.  
TG: that mess dont make sense  
TG: but i guess i understand what ur tryin to say  
TG: and idk what to tell you karkat  
CG: YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TO TELL ME? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?  
TG: dude listen  
TG: as long as shit is hittin the fan with my bro  
TG: this is always gonna feel like pity or whatever  
CG: THAT IS. OKAY, YEAH I UNDERSTAND THAT.  
TG: and i understand that you actually uh how to i phrase this  
CG: I HAVE FEELINGS FOR YOU?  
TG: yeah you can say that if you want to be gay about it  
CG: THAT'S THE WHOLE FUCKING POINT.  
TG:   
CG: OH, MY FUCKING GOD.  
CG: ARE WE GOOD?  
TG: yeha we’re cool  
TG: yeah*  
CG: I THOUGHT YOU ACTUALLY INTENDED TO SAY SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF "YEEHAW."  
TG: yeehaw  
TG: is that what you think of me  
TG: i thought you loved me  
TG: that wasnt a cool joke to make huh?  
CG: NO, BUT I EXPECTED IT.  
TG: are u ok?  
TG: karkat?  
CG: YEAH, I'M OKAY.  
TG: ok cool  
TG: i g2g  
CG: OKAY, SURE, WE'LL TALK LATER.  
TG: ya

carcinoGeneticist [CG] ceased trolling turntechGodhead [TG] at [23:53]

Dave leans away from his desk and rubs the stress out of his face. He pulls his shades off his face and drops them on his keyboard and pulls the skin on the side of his face taut. He stands, circling his chair and falling onto his bed. He rolls onto his back while he pulls a blanket over his body and stares at the ceiling.

Dave sighs. He rolls over to the table next to his bed to grab his phone and when he sees that it is not there, he groans. He throws the blanket off of him and swings his body around. He slowly stretches off of the end of his bed to reach for the phone on his desk. When he has the phone under the tips of his fingers and only his legs are still on the bed, he pulls the phone into his palm and slowly moves back.

When Dave is finally back onto his bed, laying the correct way, he plugs his phone into the charger and unlocks it, opting to scroll through Twitter until he falls asleep.

If he falls asleep.

\--

Dave is in class about a week after Terezi’s birthday. It’s his creative writing class that he took on a whim because it meant units. His professor is passing back a short story assignment and accepting questions. If the student doesn’t have any, they’re free to go.

When Dave’s assignment, a comedic rendition of Sweet Bro and Hella Jeff written in sweet prose, is handed to him facedown, Dave suspects the worse. He turns the assignment over and sees the red writing on it. 25 out of 25. “Good job! Odd, but riveting! Keep it up!”

Dave nods at the grade and slides it into his bag. He slings the bag over his shoulder and walks out of the classroom.

\--

For Halloween, Terezi and Vriska do the normal young-adult thing and decide to throw a larger than usual party. For three days, Vriska put Dave and Karkat to work decorating the inside and outside of the house for the holiday.

The work was awkward, to say the least. Dave and Karkat, while maintaining a normal friendship, were still very cautious around each other. Careful not to cross any boundaries that may or may not have existed. When Karkat had said that Rose convinced him to “communicate,” he didn’t do that well of a job and Dave was no help either.

When the party does roll around, Karkat is put on candy duty and is forced to stay inside and listen for the doorbell. Dave, in an effort to avoid what happened at the last Vriska-sponsored party, decides to stick to the backyard and guard this lousy apple barrel Vriska has here.

Dave is perched in a chair wearing a last-minute Minions costume. He has his foot resting on the apple barrel and is using it to push his chair on its back legs. To his right is a large cooler full of various beers that were brought by party guests.

The back door opens and Vriska steps out wearing an elaborate pirate costume. She opens the cooler and digs through the ice for a while before coming back up with a bottle. She shuts the cooler and sits on the lid, turned slightly to Dave.

“The fuck are you doing out here?” Vriska asks.

“Guardin’ the apples, what’s it look like I’m doin’?” Dave says.

It's silent for a few seconds.

“Are you a Minion?” Vriska asks.

Dave looks up at her. “Yeah.”

“Why?”

“It’s ironic.”

“It’s stupid.”

Dave stares at her for a few seconds before turning away from her again and saying, “It is.”

Vriska looks toward the house then back at Dave. “Not hanging out with Karkat tonight?”

“Oh,” Dave draws out, “Don’t worry, Vriska. Mommy and Daddy aren’t getting a divorce just taking some time apart, is all.”

Vriska laughs. “Oh? Who’s

“You’re lookin’ at her.” Dave faces her again. “You need Mommy to open that bottle for you?”

“Not if you’re calling yourself ‘Mommy’.”

“Daddy, then.”

Vriska sighs, looking away from Dave. She holds the bottle out to him. “Just open the fucking beer.”

Dave laughs and reaches out with a bottle opener, popping the cap off of the bottle.

Vriska pulls her drink away from him and takes a sip. She finally looks back at him. “So, what’s going on?”

“With Bro?”

“No, fuck that guy. I mean Karkat.”

Dave stiffens. His voice comes out robotic and shakey, almost like he’s trying to sound more nervous than he is. “Whatever do you mean, Serket?”

Vriska chuckles and shoves Dave’s shoulder in a gentle-but-definitely-not-gentle way. “I mean about the fact that you two kissed at Terezi’s birthday party.”

Dave gasps, snapping his head toward Vriska and saying, “You bitch, who told you?”

“Karkat.”

“Liar.”

Vriska shakes her head, looking toward the apple barrel. “He was probably asking Terezi and Kanaya for advice more than me,” She turns back to Dave, “but I was there and I was very helpful.”

Dave scoffs. “Sure.”

“I was!” Vriska yells. “Hold on.” She stands as someone comes out of the house and digs through the ice chest, coming back out with two bottles.

Dave offers to open the bottles and the guy holds them out to him. Dave pops the caps off quickly and the guy goes back into the house.

Vriska sits back down on the cooler and turns toward Dave. “I’m gonna tell you what I told him,” she says.

“Okay?” Dave says.

Vriska sighs. “If you feel like he pities you, that’s okay. But you can’t let that affect how your relationship develops. You know what I mean?”

Dave is silent for a few seconds before he looks at her and says, “No.”

Vriska adjusts her position. “Look, what I’m trying to say is that if you feel like what happened was pity, which it wasn’tー”

“I know,” Dave says.

“Anyway, you can’t let those feelings get in the way of how you and him are friends or how you guys would be if you ever end up dating.”

After a few seconds, Dave says, “When did you get so into feelings? It’s so unlike you, like who the fuck are you?”

Vriska rolls her eyes. “Look, my mom is like me, fuckin’ crazy. But she’s real into people and validating their feelings. She tried to raise me like that, but it never stuck and I did some horrible shit like… what happened to Terezi. Point is, I’m trying to be more conscious of that shit now.”

“So, you’re giving me this advice?”

“Yes.”

“Yeah, well…” Dave trails off. They don’t talk for a bit.

“Do I need to repeat myself?” Vriska asks.

“God no, please no, you talk way too fuckin’ much,” Dave says. “It was good advice.”

“I know.”

“Y’know, you’re a good friend. Never thought I’d say that.”

“Yeah,” Vriska sighs, “I really am.”

\--

turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering tentacleTherapist [TT] at [21:49]

TG: do you know if kanaya has ever gotten drunk before because hoowee did she get plastered tonight  
TG: im kidding she nursed a can of pamplemousse la croix the whole night  
TG: had to be up early for that early flight back to nyc tomorrow morning  
TT: Kanaya isn’t much of a drinker, so this doesn’t surprise me.  
TT: Although, really? Pamplemousse? Did you take note of that?  
TG: of course i did  
TG: why would i attempt a bomb ass fuckin joke without makin sure i had all the facts  
TT: How was the party?  
TG: fine  
TG: i was a minion nbd  
TT: A minion? You’re fucking joking.  
TT: That’s stupid.  
TG: yeah serket said that too  
TT: Oh? You spent time with Vriska tonight? That’s different.  
TG: no i spent time with apples tonight  
TG: but i did talk to serket  
TG: she gave some good advice that makes me reevaluate everything about my life  
TG: starting with who tf is she  
TT: Advice concerning the infamous kiss, I assume.  
TG: ya  
TT: Tell me about it.  
TG: so  
TG: she starts goin on and on about feelings and how they’re valid or some shit  
TG: it was wild  
TT: She talked about feelings being valid? Who is she?  
TG: thats what i said  
TT: Do you want some advice?  
TG: no  
TT: Okay.  
TT: This marks minute ten that neither of us has said anything.  
TG: its gonna be good when youre here  
TT: I’m sorry, is this Dave Strider? Or someone who shares their feelings and is genuine?  
TG: im serious rose  
TG: its cool havin u around because i dont have to talk to you  
TT: Thanks.  
TG: you know what i mean  
TG: i gotta go bro is calling me  
TT: Be safe.  
TG: well see

turntechGodhead [TG] ceased pestering tentacleTherapist [TT] at [22:58]

Dave pushes away from his desk as he hears Bro yell for him to meet him on the roof. Dave stands and crosses the floor of his room, grabbing a sword on the way out.

\--

Dave is in his room cleaning some fresh cuts from the strife when his computer chimes. He turns to it to see a message from Karkat. Dave stares at it for a second before he goes back to cleaning the cuts. He puts a bandage over a particularly deep one and turns to the computer fully.

Dave hovers his mouse over the chat for a moment before he makes the decision to log out of pesterchum. He stands and moves to his bed, collapsing onto it and actually falling asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For your listening pleasure: "Love Lies" by Khalid feat. Normani
> 
> I flicked through the Homestuck graphic novel at Barnes and Noble and had to update the way I write Dave lol.
> 
> Hi everyone, the fall semester is coming up in like a month. I'm starting my junior year of college at a real, big boy university, rather than the junior college that has been my home for two years. Because this is going to be a big semester and I plan to take five (5) classes, I'm re-evaluating the update schedule. My friends and I are also starting a DnD campaign in the next couple weeks and I'm the DM so I have a lot of work on my plate coming up.
> 
> Point is, I'm pushing updates back from every 7 days to every 10 days. This also gives us a little variety so I'm not blasting you guys with my writing on God's Day, I'm kidding I'm not that religious, it doesn't affect me that much.
> 
> Also, anybody know "The Adventure Zone"? I went to the last book tour event in San Diego on Friday and got a signed copy of the graphic novel and am very excited about it.
> 
> Last note, I'm entertaining opening a discord so that I don't have to give updates like the post change in the notes like this. We'll see. I don't know how discord works.


	9. curtain call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jade, Rose, and John have arrived! Dave and John have a heart to heart. Dave needs to straighten John's shit.

Dave greets the dawn with tiredness and discomfort. He’s in the front seat of his idling truck as a third and seemingly final plane descends from the sky. Last night’s group memo confirmed that Rose, Jade, and John would meet somewhere in the George Bush Intercontinental Airport and then together, would meet Dave outside. A separate memo between Dave, Terezi, Karkat, and (surprisingly) Vriska confirmed sleeping arrangements for the three non-Texans.

Dave is nervous for the weekend to come. He’s never been this nervous. The only thing going through his mind is the one line that is spoken in every single Star Wars movie: “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.” Dave can’t wait to find out who says it in The Last Jedi. It’s not an iconic line from the franchise but, as John often puts it, “you fanboys will remember any dumb thing about those movies.”

John.

Shit, Jade.

Neither of them knows the reality of the world that they just waltzed into. Their feet make turns and steps that flow beautifully with music spilling into a ballroom that has actually been blitzed. There’s debris scattered around the room that the Harley-Bert Waltz so professionally avoids. Bombs hanging from the ceiling, so low that when the heads of the Harley-Bert Waltz glide past them, you hold your breath that one of John’s wild hairs didn’t touch it and signal its detonation.

What’s Dave even talking about now? Who fucking knows.

There’s a dull tapping on the passenger’s side window before Dave can further explore the Harley-Bert Waltz metaphor and its implications in his life. Dave turns to the window, still tired, but doesn’t roll it down.

John is there. His grinning face is too much for dawn.

“Dave, unlock the door!” John’s voice is muffled from beyond the glass.

“I can’t hear you, bro,” Dave says.

John frowns. “Unlock the door!” His voice is louder.

“What?” Dave questions loudly.

John huffs and turns to Rose, saying words to her that Dave actually can’t hear this time. Seconds later, Dave’s phone rings. It’s Rose.

He answers, pressing the phone to his ear. “Sup?”

“Unlock the door,” Rose says.

“Oh!” Dave exclaims. “That’s what Egbert was sayin’. You know, I couldn’t hear him,” Dave pulls his phone from his ear and leans over to unlock the door. “Couldn’t hear ya, bud! Sorry ‘bout that!”

John opens the door as Dave hangs up on Rose. “I’ll kill you in your sleep,” John says. He slides into the truck, getting as close to Dave as possible to allow for Rose and Jade.

Jade is next. She bounces into the truck, all smiles and bunned hair. “Hi, Dave!”

“Sup, Harley?” Dave smiles.

Jade presses herself to John uncomfortably as Rose gets into the truck too. She pulls the door shut and glances at Dave.

“David.”

“Rosalind.”

Record scratch. John and Jade glance between Dave’s calm and Rose’s surprise. Ten seconds feel like ten hours until Jade leans to Rose and says, “Is your name Rosalind?”

There’s another beat before Rose says, “No. It’s not. And I’m offended at the insinuation that it is.”

“Well,” John begins, “is it short for something?”

Rose turns her surprise to John. “No. It’s not”

\--

“No Kanaya?” Vriska asks Rose when she’s standing in the former’s living room about an hour later.

“Unfortunately, no, she couldn’t find the time. She did tell me, however, that Jade and I were free to use her bedroom,” Rose says.

“Cool, and you,” Vriska extends a finger toward her unknown male guest, “Name?”

“Oh! Uh, John.”

Rose whips around. “Is that short for anything?”

“Yeah. Johnathan,” he says, matter-of-factly.

Vriska coughs to bring attention back to herself. “I’m missing something and I don’t care what it is. John, you can sleep on the couch.”

“Cool beans.”

Terezi emerges from the hallway, one hand on the wall to guide her. The reaches the end of it and stops. “We have guests,” she says.

“Y-yeah, TZ, we talked about this last night,” Dave says.

“We did?”

“Yeah.”

Terezi shrugs. “Bold of you to assume I remember shit. Who’s here?”

“Rose and some dorks named Jade and John,” Vriska says.

“Woah, woah, woah, Serket, you can’t just call my kids here dorks. Only Rose and I can do that, huh Rosie?” Dave says.

“I’m not speaking to you,” Rose quips.

John and Jade share a small wince and Dave scoffs in mock offense.

\--

carcinoGeneticist [CG] began trolling turntechGodhead [TG] at [23:16]

CG: I WAS BUSY THIS MORNING WHEN YOU ALL GOT HERE, SORRY I COULDN’T MEET YOUR FRIENDS. ALSO, I GUESS I WAS BUSY ALL DAY SO I COULDN’T MEET THEM AT ANY POINT AND THEY'RE ALL ASLEEP NOW SO I REALLY WON’T MEET THEM TODAY SO I GUESS I’M SORRY ABOUT THAT.  
TG: what in the sam heck are you talkin about?  
CG: I DIDN’T MEET YOUR FRIENDS TODAY.  
TG: oh  
TG: ok thats cool  
TG: shit happens, dude  
TG: you gotta do what you gotta do  
TG: youll meet them at some point before they leave  
CG: MAYBE.  
CG: I’M PRETTY BUSY THESE DAYS.  
TG: too busy to meed my friends?  
TG: also theyre here to celebrate rose’s, jade’s, and my birthdays  
TG: are you tellin me you wont be able to make it to that?  
CG: ...  
CG: YEAH.

turntechGodhead [TG] is offline!

carcinoGeneticist [CG] ceased trolling turntechGodhead [TG] at [23:47]

\--

“Why can’t we come to your apartment?” John says the next night. They’re at the fire pit in Karkat, Vriska, and Terezi’s backyard. It’s pretty cold, for Dave’s standards. John, he’s had worse.

“It’s…” Dave trails off.

It's silent for a bit.

“Is there something going on that we should know about?” John says. He’s concerned and Dave knows he’s concerned and every broken-at-some-point bone in his body is telling him to lie and move on.

Dave takes a deep breath. No time like the present. “John, I-”

“You brother abuses you, doesn’t he?” John cuts in.

Dave turns to John and is surprised. How the fuck does he know about that? “How the fuck do you know about that?”

“Well, I,” John sighs. “I figured something was up when you would tell me that your webcam was broken but Rose would tell me that she just got off video chat with you. I guess the whole abuse thing was just... A guess? I knew you were going through something but didn’t want to tell us. Why wouldn’t you tell us?”

Dave doesn’t say anything. He stares at the fire in front of them and thinks. What’s so bad about John knowing? Jade could find out. But Jade is cool, she’s a sweetheart. She wouldn’t be upset. Okay, maybe she’d be really upset. But not angry upset, she’d be more sad upset and ready to fly back to whatever fuckin’ island she’s from to get her grandfather’s shotgun and…

Hm, dark thought.

“John, I…” Dave sighs, “I didn’t say anythin’ because… I didn’t want to.”

“But you told Rose?” John says.

Dave chuckles. “I did.”

“I mean, I like Rose, don’t get me wrong. But what makes her so special?”

“John, you’re my man, my brother. But I call you that because you’re my best friend. Rose, Rose isーthere must be shit you’ve told Jade that Rose and I don’t know. Right?”

“I mean… Yeah, I guess. Yeah.”

“And why have you told her that shit and not me when we’ve been best friends since we were 11?”

“I think there are things that… Jade gets the stuff I tell her. Not that I think you or Rose wouldn’t! I justーI get what you mean, though, you and Rose are like me and Jade.”

Dave extends his arms presentingly and the two share a laugh. The sliding glass door of the house rattles a bit behind them, indicating that someoneーprobably Karkatーis home. Dave stares through the glass into the kitchen, waiting. Karkat enters the kitchen and immediately goes to the fridge, opens it, and shuts it after a few moments. He glances out into the backyard and halts because he sees Dave looking at him and John, who he hasn’t met yet, looking down at his phone.

Dave and Karkat stare at each other for a minute before the latter turns and leaves the kitchen.

“Is it cold?” Dave asks.

“No,” John says. He turns to face Dave. “For December, it’s pretty warm.”

Dave stares at John from behind his shades.

“When I left my house to go to the airport, it was snowing, Dave.”

Dave scrunches his face and mocks John. The two laugh.

“I have to go home,” Dave says.

“What? No, don’t do that.”

“I gotta exist there sometimes, John.”

“What happens if you don’t?”

“I don’t know, and I’d really rather not find out.”

\--

Dave is sitting cross-legged on the folding table in the laundry room of his building when Bro finds him. Dave looks up from his phone. “What?”

“Your friends are in town.”

“Yeah, and they won’t be coming to the apartment, don’t worry.”

“You remember what happened last time.”

“I absolutely do, don’t worry.”

Bro turns to leave the laundry room. “Ten minutes.” And he’s out the door.

“I’m doing my colors!” Dave calls after him.

“Ten minutes!”

“Fuck.”

\--

Pesterchum goes off late at night that night. The window is opened on the screen automatically and a message from Vriska of all people is there.

arachnidsGrip [AG] began trolling turntechGodhead [TG] at [23:02]

AG: Strider, your 8oy Egbert over here is 8eing really annoying and I’m going to need you to str8en his shit out, okay?  
AG: Helloooooooo?  
AG: I swear to God, you 8etter answer me, I am not putting up with any more of Egbert’s shit.  
AG: Fine then, don’t answer me.

arachnidsGrip [AG] ceased trolling turntechGodhead [TG] at [23:15]

A second chat window appears.

tentacleTherapist [TT] began pestering turntechGodhead [TG] at [23:16]

TT: David, we are patiently awaiting your response to Vriska’s claim that our esteemed colleague John is, “8eing really annoying.”  
TT: However, given that you did not answer, I was told that I had to “str8en his shit out.” Now I’m curious: what was stopping dear, dear David Richard Strider from responding to her?  
TT: Sidebar, what is your middle name so that I can stop calling you “Dave Dick Strider?”  
TT: Dave?  
TT: What’s going on?  
TG: rose  
TT: Thank God, I was worried for a second.  
TG: get  
TT: “Get” what?  
TG: vriska  
TT: Why?  
TG: co  
TG: come to my house  
TT: You’re typing awfully slow. Is something wrong?  
TG: hurts

tentacleTherapist [TT] ceased pestering turntechGodhead [TG] at [23:38]

turntechGodhead [TG] is offline!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For your listening pleasure: "Curtain Call" by Zach Callison
> 
> Hi! It's been a hot minute since this story has been updated. Don't worry, I'm not giving up on it! I am absolutely going to see it through!
> 
> Very funny how I said, "I'm going to update this every ten days because of the fall semester!" And then I went almost the entire semester without updating it. In my defense, shit went crazy this semester. I don't think I'm going to have a solid update schedule anymore, though. I think I'm just going to have to update this as I can because I'm not... I'm not finding the inspiration to write much? I guess I am now because I just finished reading a bunch of books about trauma for my literature class this semester. Anyway, I'm rambling.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who's been reading/commenting during my hiatus! I really appreciate it.
> 
> Feel free to follow me on twitter @BarelyCorporeal (case sensitive). I'd say tumblr but tumblr is actin' a fool right now and I'm debating jumping ship. I probably won't though, let's be honest with ourselves. If you want to follow me on tumblr, though, it's forestknifefight.tumblr.com


	10. i'm not okay (i promise)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A hospital stay. A police report. Things are going to be different.

When Dave wakes up in a hospital bed for the second time in six months (which is more than he’s used to), he’s alone. He closes his eyes again and waits for what is less than a minute before he hears someone’s shoes click on the floor. He doesn’t open his eyes. Just listens.

His visitor’s shoes click closer to him and a hand touches his forearm. Based on the fact that they _touched_ him, he narrows the visitor's identity down to one of five people: John, Rose, Jade, (maybe) Kanaya, or (maybe) Karkat. The visitor’s hand leaves his forearm and their shoes click away and then stop and come back. The visitor sits down next to him in a chair that squeaks against the tile. The visitor takes a deep breath and lets out a shaky sigh.

“Mom?” Dave hears Rose say. “No, I am fine… I am, um, calling back… I said I am okay… No, I have not gone back to Dave’s apartment… I am not allowed there. None of us are… Karkat, Vriska, and John went inside… I can only tell you what I can see because I am not a relative… I am not going to lie, Mother… He’s, um, he has a broken arm, a broken leg, his face is horribly bruised, and he has to breathe with an oxygen mask… Okay, Mom… Yes, I will… Okay… I love you, too… Goodbye.”

Dave slowly opens his eyes and turns toward Rose. She looks at him and jolts in surprise. She holds her hands up before he has a chance to possibly say anything and says, “Hold on.”

Rose jumps to her feet and rushes out of the room and returns with Doctor Luna. Rose excuses herself so Dave can talk to the doctor.

Doctor Luna moves to Dave’s side and sits in Rose’s abandoned chair. “Welcome back,” she says.

“Aw, you remember me?” Dave says hoarsely.

“Of course! How could I forget the patient that came here horribly beaten and then didn’t give the police any reason to file a report, although there clearly was one.”

Dave chuckles weakly. “Yeah.”

“So this time,” Doctor Luna looks at Dave’s chart, “your face isn’t that badly damaged, it’s just mostly bruising and swelling. Your arm is broken. Your leg is broken, two points on your femur or thigh and one point on your fibula or the smaller leg bone. You have three fractured ribs, evident of being kicked in the side, and they were so far lodged into your lung that it collapsed. That’s why you have an oxygen mask.”

“So, I’m pretty fucked up, huh?” Dave says.

“Oh, definitely. It’s horrifying.” She’s silent for a moment. “Are you ready to talk to the police?”

Dave nods and Doctor Luna stands. She leaves the room and moments later, two police officers replace her.

\--

“How are you doing, David. Can we call you ‘David’?” The first officer says. Dave’s already forgotten her name. He blames 20 years of head trauma.

“‘Dave’ is fine, and I can only breath with one lung so how do you think I’m doing?”

The officers share a glance. The second one turns back to him. “So… you got roughed up pretty badly. Do you want to talk about what happened?”

Dave can’t remember the second officer’s name either. She almost makes him feel small with how kind she is. It’s _almost_ condescending. Instead of commenting on it, he says, “I’d love to talk about it. Where should I start?”

“How about the beginning?” The first officer says.

“You want me to go back that far?” Dave says.

“How far back could it be?”

Dave takes as deep a breath as he can and tells the officers his story. He starts where he can remember: being given a shitty sword at age 3 and told that he’s going to learn how to use it properly. He tells them that the first time he broke his arm was when he was 7 and that it was because he had been thrown onto an air conditioning unit on the roof of his building. He tells them that when he was 11, he learned how to dress his own wounds. He tells them that when he was 14, he had been beaten so badly that Bro called him out of school for a week and a half, claiming that they had to go out of town for a funeral. He tells them that when he was 17, he stitched a particularly deep cut in his leg shut by himself and that it was the first time he had to do that. He tells them that earlier in the year, his head was bashed into their kitchen counter. He tells them that just a few weeks later, his face was so badly damaged that one of his best friends asked him, “is that your fucking face?”

He tells them that the last time he spoke to police, he didn’t tell them the whole story. Chiefly, that it was Bro who hurt him. That it’s always been Bro who hurts him. That it’s been Bro who has been hurting him for damn near twenty years.

He tells them everything.

\--

Four days later, Dave is still in the hospital and eating pudding and watching soap operas when Rose, who stayed longer to help him, comes into the room. She’s holding a physical copy of the _Houston Chronicle_. She flicks out the paper so that she has a proper view of whatever she’s interested in. “Local Man, 39, Charged with Physically Abusing Brother, 20, for 20 Years.”

“What is that?” Dave says.

“That’s the headline that ran in today’s paper about you and your brother,” Rose says. She lowers the paper to look at Dave.

He sets his pudding down. “What?”

Rose lifts the paper again. “‘Four days ago, twenty-year-old David Strider was admitted to Houston Methodist West Hospital for multiple injuries, including multiple broken bones and a collapsed lung. He alleges that his older brother, Dirk Strider, age 39, is responsible for the injuries. Strider (39) was arrested and charged with aggravated assault against his brother. The D.A.’s office is also looking to charge Strider (39) with at least ten counts of aggravated assault of a minor and ten counts of endangering the welfare of a minor.’ How do you feel?”

Dave groans. “My name is in the _Houston Chronicle._ ”

“Yes, it is.”

“They’re really throwin’ the book at Bro, aren’t they?”

“As they should. He did horrible things to you. He doesn’t deserve to ever see sunlight again.” She returns her attention to the newspaper, reading the rest of the article.

Dave sighs and picks the pudding back up. He scoops the last of it out and brings it close to his face. He stops and looks at Rose.

“Hey,” Dave says.

“Hm?” Rose looks up at him.

He holds the spoon to her, an offering. A thank you.

She smiles. “No thank you.”

Dave quickly pulls the spoon away from Rose and pops it into his mouth. The two sit with the melodramatic dialogue of the soap opera as background noise.

“Is everyone else at the house?” Dave asks.

“Yes. Vriska is going to pick me up later.”

Dave is quiet for a moment. “This might’ve been a mistake.”

Rose folds the newspaper and sets it on Dave’s legs. “What might’ve been a mistake?”

“Tellin’ the police about Bro.”

“No,” Rose says. “That was not a mistake.”

“Rose, he could lie. Turn this whole fuckin’ mess back on me and then I could get in trouble. That is one hundo percent some shit he would pull. You know that.”

Dave and Rose stare at each other.

“You’re in the hospital,” she says.

Dave shrugs.

Rose puts her hand on Dave’s arm. “Things are going to be different now. If you go back to the way things were, I will kill you… No, I’ll have Vriska do it. A job well done.”

“That’s the second time I’ve heard someone say that about her and now I’m scared.”

The two share a laugh.

Rose is right. Things are going to be different now. They have to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For your listening pleasure, a classic: "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" by My Chemical Romance
> 
> Also for your listening pleasure, a youtube playlist of the songs so far! I've been compiling this playlist on Spotify but it has a stronger impact if you listen to the songs in order and I know that not everyone pays for Spotify. Also, my Spotify account is a bit stupid looking right now. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwZyiWvAdw4jxd9qq_-0L4Vc8yyBdjAiF
> 
> But I'm back!!! With a (kinda) short chapter but this one is important because it marks the official end of what I'm calling act 1 of the story. Idk when the next one is going to be ready but it should be longer because there's a couple of things that I want to include in it.
> 
> Side bar, this chapter was super difficult to title for some reason.
> 
> Follow me on tumblr to yell at me about updates for the story or ask questions about it! forestknifefight.tumblr.com


	11. second thoughts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new place of residence. A long-awaited conversation. He wonders.

Three weeks after the hospital visit, following a quick return home to gather more of her things, Rose is back in Texas and this time, her mother joins her. Roxy Lalonde got a nice hotel room for her and Rose to stay in and told Dave that he should stay there as well.

“Oh, please Dave, you’ll be so much more comfortable in the hotel with us,” Roxy had said.

“No, thanks, Mom Lalonde. I like my apartment,” Dave had responded.

“David Elaine Strider, you will stay in this hotel room with Rosie and me.”

Dave resigned to his fate and Roxy smiled. She turned and went into the bathroom to unpack some necessities.

“Dude, your mom is psychic. How’d she know my middle name starts with an E?” Dave asked Rose.

“Your middle name is Elaine?” she said.

“No, it’s Elijah, but that’s damn close.”

Rose had laughed then.

But now she wasn’t laughing. She’s reading a newspaper from the hotel lobby and sipping a cup of tea. The _Los Angeles Times_ stares at Dave from across the table.

“What are you reading?” Dave asks.

Rose glances up at him and flips a few pages. She clears her throat.

“‘The People of Houston versus Dirk Strider is set to begin Wednesday following a week of pretrial motions.’ Next paragraph. ‘The defendant is charged with one count of aggravated assault, three counts of aggravated assault of a minor and four counts of endangering the welfare of a child following allegations made by 20-year-old David Strider, who has been under Dirk Strider’s guardianship since infancy.’ Need I read more?”

“No, you’re good.”

Rose nods and returns to reading.

Dave takes a moment to stare at his phone, face up on the table. He looks away from it as it lights up; he’s on it immediately.

It’s a game telling him he hasn’t played in a while. He sighs and puts his phone down. Face down this time.

“Waiting for someone?” Rose asks.

“What? No, why would I wait for someone? People wait for me, Lalonde,” Dave says.

Silence.

“Waiting for Karkat?”

“Lalonde, I told you, I don’t wait for people. Also, yes, I’m waiting for Karkat.”

Rose puts down the newspaper. “When was the last time you heard from him?”

Dave picks up his phone to check. “Like, the day y’all got here. Maybe the day after.”

“So, almost about a month?”

“Yeah.”

Rose’s phone starts ringing. “Hello, Mother.” She stands, crossing the hotel’s lounge area and exits to the pool patio.

Dave stares at his phone for a moment before he begins typing.

turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering carcinoGeneticist [CG] at [11:47]

TG: so i dunno if you read the la times but like  
TG: my name is in it  
TG: which is p sick nasty u know

Dave types out, “how are you?” and lets his thumb hover over the send button. He waits for 10 seconds and erases the message.

Rose comes back inside and sets her phone down. When she’s seated, she starts to pick the newspaper back up. “My mother was calling to check on us.” She looks up at him. “Are you okay?”

Dave is pale. “I have to go back to the room.”

“Do you need me to come with you?”

“No, I can do it by myself, I’m not a baby,” he snaps.

Her eyes widen in surprise. “What?”

Dave shakes his head. “Nothing.”

He stands and wiggles his crutch under his arm. He goes back up to the hotel room.

Dave stares intently at his phone, waiting to see if he can get a response. He checks quickly and sees that Karkat is offline. Fuck. He checks through his friend list and sees Terezi. Online. He pauses, wondering if he should say anything to her.

He doesn’t.

He locks his phone and tosses it on the bed. He gently sits on the edge of the bed, resting his crutch against it next to him. The mirror on the wall across shows Dave a haunting image. His face is a canvas of yellows and greens, a pleasant change from the purples and reds from a few weeks ago. His lung was back to normal functioning a week ago. He takes a deep breath. His arm and leg are both still broken.

He nudges the crutch next to him with his foot. It starts to slip to the floor and in his efforts to catch it, it crashes to the floor.

“Fuck,” Dave mutters. He slides off the bed and, bracing himself on it, reaches for the crutch. On the swing back up to a standing position, his phone chimes.

He freezes for a second. When he snaps out of it, he shuffles to the bed where he put his phone.

CG: I DON’T READ THE LA TIMES. I DON’T READ NEWSPAPERS. NO ONE THAT I LIVE WITH READS NEWSPAPERS. WHO THE FUCK DO YOU KNOW THAT READS LITERAL NEWSPAPERS?  
TG: rose  
TG: and her mom  
CG: OH, OF COURSE THEY DO. WHY AM I NOT FUCKING SURPRISED.  
TG: are you tellin me maryam doesnt read newspapers bc of rose?  
CG: I’M TELLING YOU THAT THERE IS WITHOUT A DOUBT NOT A SINGLE NEWSPAPER IN MY HOUSE RIGHT NOW.  
TG: ur sayin that like maryam is in town rn  
TG: shes not  
TG: as far as i know  
CG: SHE’S BEEN IN TOWN FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS NOW, DIPSHIT.  
TG: well how would i know that  
CG: ROSE WOULD TELL YOU? YOU’RE STAYING WITH HER AND HER MOM, I’D IMAGINE SHE’D TELL YOU SHIT BECAUSE YOU’RE CONVENIENTLY THERE.  
TG: all rose and her mom tell me is like  
TG: shit from newspapers  
TG: and ask me if im okay  
TG: to be fair i dont say much to them either  
CG: I’M SURPRISED HER MOM DOESN’T BEND OVER BACKWARDS TO MAKE YOU COMFORTABLE AND TALK TO YOU AND SHIT.  
TG: dont get me wrong  
TG: mom lalonde is super nice  
TG: i just dont have much to say  
TG: im kind of preoccupied with this fuckin trial comin up  
CG: FUCK, I FORGOT ABOUT THAT. HOW’S THAT GOING?  
TG: ive been in and out of the courthouse going over shit im gonna say with prosecutor  
TG: and shes confident that shits gonna go the way we want them  
TG: but idk  
TG: im not too optimistic  
CG: ARE YOU FUCKING INSANE? “NOT TOO OPTIMISTIC” MY CHAPPED ASS. HE’S GOING TO GO AWAY FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE. HE BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF YOU YOUR WHOLE LIFE AND YOU’RE “NOT TOO OPTIMISTIC” THAT HE’S GONNA GO AWAY? GET FUCKING OPTIMISTIC. JESUS CHRIST.  
TG: chapped ass  
TG: anyway  
TG: dude im not optimistic  
TG: im very confident that hes gonna twist it in a way thats  
TG: in a way that makes him look like he was just doing waht he thought was best  
CG: THAT’S BULLSHIT.  
TG: it might be bullshit  
TG: but its MY bullshit  
CG: THAT MAKES NO FUCKING SENSE YOU DUMBASS.  
TG: yeah well

Dave’s head shoots up when he hears the door unlock.

CG: I WILL EVISCERATE YOU IF YOU BACK OUT OF THIS TRIAL.  
TG: i gotta go  
CG: I’M SERIOUS, I’LL EVISCERATE YOU.  
TG: yeah yeah i believe you

turntechGodhead [TG] ceased pestering carcinoGeneticist [CG] at [12:39]

Dave tosses his phone back onto the bed as Rose shuts the door to the room, newspaper tucked under her arm. She drops her phone, room key, and newspaper on the dresser.

"Did you hear back from Karkat?” Rose asks.

“Uh, yeah, I did.”

Rose moves across the room to sit on the bed across from him. “What did he have to say?”

“That he’d eviscerate me if I backed out of the trial.”

Rose’s expression changes from one of playful curiosity to sisterly worry. “Was that an option?”

“For a bit, yeah.”

“Dave…”

He puts his hand up in a defensive position. “Don’t worry I won’t. I just get nervous about it.”

Rose is quiet for a moment. “Why have you not discussed this with my mother or me?”

“I already feel like I’m intrudin’ on y’all by just bein’ here. I’m not gonna talk to y’all about my anxieties.”

She sighs as the door unlocks and Roxy enters the room.

“Hey, kids!” She says, cheery as ever.

“Hello, Mother,” Rose says.

“Hey, Ms. Lalonde,” Dave says.

Roxy wanders around the hotel room discarding shoes, picking up a hairbrush, moving a stray piece of clothing. “How was your morning?”

Rose picks up the conversation while Dave stares at Roxy. It’s been a weird few weeks living with a pseudo-mother like Rose’s mom. He wonders what it would’ve been like if his own parents had been around. How different things would’ve been. He also wonders what it must’ve been like to have Roxy as a mom. He should ask Rose about that sometime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For your listening pleasure: "interlude III (Second Thoughts)" by Zach Callison  
> Listen to the full playlist at: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwZyiWvAdw4jxd9qq_-0L4Vc8yyBdjAiF
> 
> I've been AWOL for three months, sorry about that. I meant to have this up on 4/13 to usher in a new era of regular updates and then I didn't, don't you love me?
> 
> SO HOW BOUT THAT EPILOGUE HUH????? To be honest I was into it. It was really weird, but I'm interested in hearing your thoughts!
> 
> Feel free to follow me on tumblr: forestknifefight.tumblr.com


	12. monster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trial. The answer is "Yes."

Dave’s day to testify is a week into the trial. His bruises have almost healed completely, leaving him with some slight discoloration in his cheeks and forehead. His forehead is visible. Roxy insisted that he let her comb and style his hair so he looked presentable. Rose has his shades in her purse so he can slide them back on when he gets off the stand. The Lalondes are inside, seated directly behind the prosecutor. The same seats they’ve been in for a week.

Dave is in the hall, waiting to be let in. There’s a cop with him, one of the ones he spoke to in the hospital a couple of months ago. He still doesn’t remember her name.

The door to the courtroom cracks open. The cop turns to Dave. “Are you ready?” she asks.

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”

“You’ll do great.” She grabs the door and pulls it open, allowed Dave to step in in front of her.

The courtroom is quiet. Dave moves forward. The prosecutor pulls open the gate for him. He sits at the witness stand, swears to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help him God, and waits.

The prosecutor stands. She steps out from behind the table. “Hello, David. Is “David” alright, or do you prefer a different name?”

“‘David’ is fine.”

“David, how old are you?”

“I’m 20.”

The prosecutor checks her paperwork. “And you live with the defendant?”

“Yeah. Well, I haven’t been to the apartment in a while.”

“Where have you been?”

“At a hotel with the Lalondes.”

She looks up. “Who are the Lalondes to you?”

“Uh, Rose Lalonde is a friend of mine. I met her on the internet a while ago. Roxy is her mom.”

“They’re supporting you right now?”

Dave shifts in the chair. “You could say that.”

The prosecutor nods. “What happened to your arm?”

“Glad you asked. I got the shit beat out of me.”

The judge clears his throat. “Language, please.”

“Sorry, Sir,” Dave says.

The prosecutor steps away from the table and approaches Dave. When she reaches him, she rests her hand on the wall in front of him. “Who did this to you?”

“Uh…” Dave shoots his eyes to the side where Bro is. Dirk. The de-facto father-figure in his life. Dirk stares back. Dave thinks he can see something in his face. Something expectant. He looks back at the prosecutor and points in Dirk’s direction. “Oh, uh, um… he did.”

“Let the record show that the witness has identified the defendant, Dirk Strider,” she says. She directs her attention back to Dave. “Was this the first time this happened?”

“I broke my arm the first time when I was 7.”

“How did that happen?”

“Objection,” Dirk’s lawyer calls. “Beyond the scope. We’re not discussing anything my client has done before the witness was 15 years old.”

“It establishes a history of violence,” the prosecutor says.

The judge nods. “Witness may answer.”

The prosecutor turns back to Dave and nods. He says, “I, um, hit an air conditioning unit. Very hard.”

“How did _that_ happen?”

Dave hesitates. “My broth-- _Dirk_ threw me. When we were sword fighting on the roof.”

The prosecutor steps away from the witness stand. “Was this the only time you and the defendant sword fought on the roof?

“No.”

She stops at her table and glances down at her paperwork. “Did he only hurt you on the roof during your sword fighting sessions?”

“No.”

“When else would he hurt you?”

“Objection,” Dirk’s lawyer calls again. “Prejudicial.”

“Overruled,” the judge says. “Young man?”

“I’m sorry, what was the question again?” Dave asks.

“What times besides sword fighting on the roof would the defendant hurt you?” the prosecutor says.

“Um…” Dave swallows. “When I’d make him really mad. Like, seething-with-rage mad.”

The prosecutor nods. “Thank you, David. No further questions.”

“Your witness,” the judge says to Dirk’s lawyer.

“Thank you, Your Honor.” He stands. Dave notes that he’s tall. “Hello, David.”

“Sup?” Dave says.

“How are you feeling? How’s your arm?”

“Broken.”

He chuckles. “I guess we should just get to these questions then. Did you learn anything from your sword fighting sessions on the roof with my client?”

Dave’s eyes flit from Dirk’s lawyer to the prosecutor, then to Rose, then back to Dirk’s lawyer. “What could I have learned from that?”

The lawyer shrugs. “I don’t know. How to responsibly wield a weapon? How to defend yourself?”

“I mean, I think it’s a lot more complicated than that.”

“Did you learn to defend yourself?”

“Look, I don’t want to be rude, but-”

Dirk’s lawyer interrupts, “Yes or no, Mr. Strider. Did you learn to defend yourself?”

“It’s not-- I--”

“Your Honor?” the lawyer turns to the judge.

The judge leans toward Dave. “Young man, I’m going to have to ask you to give a yes or no response to the question.”

Dave’s attention shoots everywhere in the room. The judge. Dirk’s lawyer. The prosecutor. Rose. Roxy. Back to the Judge. His eyes finally settle on Dirk’s lawyer, who straightens his tie, then his back.

“Mr. Strider,” the lawyer says. “Did you learn to defend yourself?”

Dave lets out a shaky breath.

“Yes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For your listening pleasure: "Monster" by Gabbie Hanna  
> For the whole playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwZyiWvAdw4jxd9qq_-0L4Vc8yyBdjAiF
> 
> What's this? An update less than a month after the last one? Who am I and what have I done with the author? I don't know, I actually started planning this shit and am pleased to announce that there are only five (5) chapters left in this story. I know, I know, the end of an era. Kidding. I'm also working on a master version that will be ready shortly after this story is finished. I'll have more information ready for that possibly when the next chapter goes up.
> 
> I'm not sure if there are any typos here, but if there are, please let me know. This was a shorter chapter but it was everything I wanted to cover this time.

**Author's Note:**

> Tags are subject to change.


End file.
